X-Possible
by MacMan3679
Summary: Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable are mutants, and they have a pedigree, one is the scion of a mass-murderer, and a mercenary, and the nephew of a hatemonger, the other the cousin of an Avenger and an X-Men. SUSPENDED Until I finish Chains of the Maelstrom, Part 1.
1. 000: Pedigree

*Kim Possible and all characters therein are the exclusive property of Walt Disney Studios, and Walt Disney, Inc. & X-men and all characters therein are the exclusive property of Marvel.*

* * *

Prologue: Heritage

* * *

 **Manhattan, NY – November, 1984**

The doors in the back of the sanctuary opened, her eyes moved to the front. The sanctuary was decorated in shades of midnight-blue and yellow. They had opted for a small ceremony, only close friends and family were invited. Thomas stood to the right of Rabbi Ezekiel, the chuppah was decorated in the traditional way, with pieces of each person's life, entwined together in a hodgepodge of memories. Victoria made her way down the aisle, she had blonde-hair and brown eyes, dressed in traditional Jewish bridal colors. If one were to look at the audience one would note the difference in the bride's side and the groom's side. The most significant difference being the dearth of people on her side compared to his side, which was full. Her side was almost empty, with only friends, no family, she walked down the aisle alone, not in shame, nor with pride, but with love and determination.

That is not to say that she does not have any family, she knows perfectly well where she came from, _who_ she came from. Her father is a mass-murderer, known for killing for no reason except that he likes doing it. Where most fathers take up golf or carpentry as a hobby her paternal parent kills people. Her mother is a thief, a spy, and a mercenary, who nobody trusts, especially not the people she works for. Yet, it is her brother Graydon with whom she is most ashamed of, because he allows his fear of himself to translate into hatred, disguised as philanthropy. He has even started a grassroots organization called the Friends of Humanity, but one should not be fooled by the name. They are a nothing more than hatemongers, on par the KKK, Skinheads, and Neo-Nazis. Victoria, or Vicky as her friends have dubbed her, has long been estranged from her twin, and she saw no reason to invite him, or even inform him of her wedding.

She reaches the chuppah, and begins the circling of her soon to be husband. The rabbi begins with reciting the Ketubah, in flawless Hebrew. Having only been Jewish for two years Vicky was not as skilled in the language as her groom, as she crossed his view she would look at his features and wonder what features their children would inherit from them. He was also blonde, but with dark blue eyes, and on both cheeks, were two sets of three freckles. He looked back at her with his goofiest grin, _his smile is my most favorite thing about him._

She finished her circles, coming to his left, and the rabbi began the joining, "Dearly beloved we are gathered here in the presence of Jehovah to witness the union of Thomas Eugene Stoppable, and Victoria Raven Creed in holy matrimony…"

* * *

 **Middleton Memorial Hospital – May, 1987**

Vicky Stoppable lay dozing after giving birth to her son. Her husband was sleeping in the chair next to her, his son also sleeping in the open crib. A female doctor with red-hair enters the room followed by a young, youthful, and very pregnant, surgery resident, also with red-hair following in her wake. They quietly, move to the man in the room, placing a hand on him as he sleeps, shocking him awake. Tom notices the women right away, who quickly put fingers to their mouth, asking for quiet. They indicate he is to follow them, which he nods to and does.

The resident quietly pulls the wheeled open crib, out into the hallway. They stop and the medical professionals turn to face the new father. He gazes at the two women, to say they were stunning would be an understatement. Both had red-hair, but that is where the similarities stop. The attending physician had brown eyes, that have seen and known a lot of suffering, and yet she did not seem to be embittered over it, merely wary. She was tall, at least a few inches taller than him, with a body Cindy Crawford would kill to have. She wore a lab coat with a name plate that read, 'R. Darkholme, MD.'

The resident had blue eyes, which seemed alight with curiosity, most likely for the child growing within her womb. She bore her pregnancy well, and she seemed very fit despite her convex shape, she was of the same height as him, and her name plate read, 'A. Possible.'

"Mr. Stoppable, my name is doctor Raven Darkholme, I am a geneticist as well as a medical doctor," she said with authority. "I have been given permission by the hospital to conduct some genetics research, with your permission I would like to draw a small amount of blood from your son."

"A small amount of blood only, no other tests or anything like that," he asked warily?

"No, sir," Dr. Darkholme confirmed, "we are simply collecting a large base line for comparison."

"Very well, you have my permission, but make sure you follow all clinical procedures," he assented, "I'm an actuary and I know all of them, since I sometimes must conduct assessments of hospitals for insurance companies." Dr. Darkholme nodded and bent over with a neonatal needle. Tom turned to the other young doctor, smiling warmly, "So, when are you due," he asked?

The young doctor's face lit up, "two more months, and I will be trading places with your wife," she exclaimed quietly, while pointing her thumb into the neo-natal unit behind her. "I'm Anne by the way, Anne Possible," she said extending her hand.

Tom shook it and smiled, "Are you in Pediatrics," he asked?

Anne shook her head, "Neurology, but I'm not allowed to do any surgery this close to my due date, in case I go into early labor," she said looking disappointed. "So, I am acting as a sort of liaison for the hospital, which is why I'm here with doctor Darkholme."

Tom smiled, _she sounds just like Vicky_ , "As an actuary and a husband I understand where the hospital is coming from, but look on the bright side, you get face time with the boss, which is good for promotions, and you can reacquaint yourself academically with the area of anatomy you want to specialize in."

Anne thought over what he said, and intellectually it made sense. She would _never_ allow herself to be an _ass-kisser_ , but if she became someone the administration could rely on maybe it would not be such a bad thing. Anne smiled, "Thank you for helping me put it into perspective Mr. Stoppable, and it's not unlike something my husband has told me when I started this," she added. "Although he put it in some kind of sci-fi/rocket metaphor that I didn't understand."

"Call me, Tom, Anne," he requested.

She smiled, "Okay, Tom."

The other doctor looked up from her task, "Okay, I'm all done here," she said, "escort me back, Anne?"

"Yes, doctor," Anne replied, "it was nice meeting you, Tom."

"Likewise, Anne," he replied as he wheeled his son back into the room with his wife.

 **Later, that night…**

Dr. Raven Darkholme was on the phone in the office she was allotted six months ago by hospital administration. "Yes, I tested the blood Eric… no it was recessive, he is a carrier, so his children may have it, but he will not." She listened for a little bit, "Yes, keep Victor occupied, and make sure he never comes near them… because they are my daughter and grandson Eric, and Victor would destroy them." She sighed, "Yes, Eric I am loyal to the cause, and if he had an active gene, I would have taken him without second thought, but that doesn't mean I would have liked it, or wanted it." She listened a little longer, and sighed in relief, "Thanks for understanding Eric, Raven out." Raven raised her head and her eyes flashed, yellow for a second before returning to the brown color. _Thank you, God, for letting at least this grandchild of mine, to grow up without the burden of being a mutant._

* * *

 **Four years later, Middleton Pre-k…**

Kim Possible runs around kicking and throwing with all the other children of her pre-k class. They are not playing any kind of game, just kicking, and throwing to release their excess energy. One kid comes in for a kick and it sails over their heads into a tree. "I'll get it," Kim calls. She runs off after it, and as she comes around to the other side of the tree, she sees three other kids holding the ball. Somehow her instincts tell her that these are not nice kids. They could not be more dissimilar from each other if they tried. For one thing one of them was bald, and seemed to be wearing a skirt. One was wearing an all-black gi, and seemed to walk like the monkeys she had seen at the zoo. The last one was the strangest one of them all, because his skin was blue. Not that, that was what made him strange to her, because her second cousin Hank was blue and had fur. No, it was not their appearance that gave her pause, it was the way they looked at her, like lions would look at a gazelle.

She forced a smile on her face, "Hey, can we have that back, we kicked it over here by mistake?"

The blue skinned one grinned weirdly, all teeth, "Sure, here you go," he said extending his hand with the ball.

As she went to collect it, he tossed it behind him to the boy in the skirt, causing her to pout cutely like she had seen her mom do with her dad. Unlike her daddy who readily caved to her mommy, these three just laughed. "Whut's wrong wit yer face lassie, didja bite into a lemon," he sounded just like that duck billionaire on the mouse channel?

The others just laughed at the barb of their friend, "Aww, did we make you cry, I quite like that look on your face." Then he reached up and tugged harshly on her pig-tail, causing her to scream out in pain.

Then they were on her like a pack of wolves on a deer, pushing and tugging, her tears were falling on deaf ears. Then out of nowhere, "STOP IT," everyone turned and saw a blonde-haired boy marching toward them, "that is not proper playground behavior," he said while holding his arm in the air, and assuming a lecturing tone. "Even though we're kids, we have entered the organized world that is pre-k, we need to conduct ourselves with respect, and leave behind the jungle-mentality that is daycare." He looked fierce, but anyone could tell he was scared, and still he never backed down, "Me and my friend Rufus here," he said gesturing to the empty-air around him, "are here to enforce the rules of playground etiquette."

The only thing his words did was shift his position as target for these boy's behavior, they rushed him and were about to start wailing on him, when suddenly out of nowhere Kim drop kicked all three boys. She basically sucker punched them, taking them all out in one move. The last they saw of them they had beat feet out of the playground.

She turned around and the boy that saved her, then in turn she saved, was sitting there with his head down, and arms over his head. She knelt to look him in the eye, she placed her hand on his shoulder causing him to jump and shout. He looked at her with wide-eyes, breathing fast and heavy. "Are you ok," Kim asked?

Regaining his composure, he stood up, dusting himself off, "Of course, my friend Rufus and me, had it handled," again gesturing to empty-air, "but, ah… thanks for giving me a hand," he said sheepishly.

Kim eyed him dubiously, "You're _weird_ …," then seeing him sigh and lower his head, continued, "but, I like you. My name is Kimberly Anne Possible," she said extending her hand, like she had seen her daddy and mommy do when greeting someone, "what's your name?"

The boy extends his hand to shake hers, "Stoppable, Ronald Victor Stoppable."


	2. 001: Catalyst

X-Possible

Catalyst

 **(A/N: This story could be considered a sequel to Chicken Soup for Ron, except his middle name is Victor and his mother cares about him in this story, and they're not dating yet.)**

* * *

 **Monkey Fist Manor**

Ron kept reflecting on how he came to be in this sitch…

 **Last May…**

" _Got a paying hit on the site, artifact retrieval," says the ten-year-old super-genius._

" _Really, from whom," Kim asks with interest?_

 _Wade checks his database, "Some British nobleman, he wants you to meet him in Cambodia tomorrow."_

" _Aw coolio, what's his name Wade," I ask?_

 _Wade looks up and replies, "Lord Montgomery Fiske, Earl of Lincolnshire."_

" _You mean Monty Fiske, the archeologist," Kim asked? She smiles warmly at me, "Who do we know that can give us a ride?"_

 _I return her smile with a grin, knowing just who she means, "To Cambodia… got to be the colonel?"_

 _Long story short we made it to Cambodia, were in the bush for a few hours when we met Fiske, and his servant Bates. It was there I found out about his obsession with… ugh, monkeys! That didn't endear me to Fiske, because right from there, me and old Monte just couldn't see eye to eye. I don't know if his monkey-philia was getting to me, or if it was something else, but I didn't like him from the start. All I know is he was_ bad road _. The one thing we did agree on was for Kim to do the talking._

 _Nevertheless, we_ rescued _a priceless artifact from a hidden temple, but that night a ninja stole it._ Isn't that just like those damn ninjas? _That was back in May, we were paid for the retrieval, which was standard practice. Then the end of our Freshman year came, I was able to bring my average up from a gentleman's C to a cool B. Then, me and Kim, went through GJ/SHIELD Basic Training (GJ/SBT) over the summer, and while we were out of touch, Wade kept digging looking for the jade statue. While he didn't find the jade statue itself, he did discover that it was one part of a set of four jade statues. He relayed that information to us when we got back the last week of August,_ two days ago _._

 _Unfortunately, Kim couldn't follow up on this information because her parents, took her and the boys to visit her mother's family, the Prydes. That's when Wade revealed his latest invention: holograms. He was able to produce a perfect replica of Kim, so convincing it even had me fooled, and I'm her best friend. Wade tried to tempt Kim into using it as a substitute for the family trip. No dice, if there is one thing my KP values more than anything_ , _it's her word of honor. As tempting as it was, which even she admitted, she'd promised her dad some family time, and Kim_ never _breaks a promise. So, she left for her family trip. My mother was home, but dad was away at an actuarial convention. She was watching Rufus while I was away, since I wasn't allowed to bring pets with me to boot camp._

 _Looking back, I realize how Wade was able to trick me with the holoKim, even though we're best friends, when Kim is in mission mode nothing can distract her, and the Global Justice/SHIELD boot camp and secret agent training program, taught us to compartmentalize certain behaviors. Therefore, I never questioned why we never made bodily contact on the ride over to England, I guess I thought she was just in mission-mode, and we would have time to connect after the mission. That was how I found myself running for my life, through the halls of Monkey Fist Manor, with an insane monkey-human hybrid and his rather round servant hot on my trail…_

…NOW

"Remember level 9 of Fortress," Kim's cousin Larry asked, as Ron ran for his life within the confines of Lord Montgomery Fiske's Keep? The reason being that the British noble was chasing Ron Stoppable, to silence him so that he may not reveal the owner's secrets. Ron had come here alone, without even his little buddy Rufus to aid him, since the naked mole rat was feeling a little under the weather, for the last few days.

Kim, his best friend of fourteen years, had a family engagement with the teenager speaking to him via hologram, one of Wade's newest inventions, with which he had gotten a little carried away. To be fair, when Wade deceived Ron into coming to speak to the lord of the manor, Wade never imagined that Lord Fiske was the bad road Ron thought he was, and since both Kim and Wade believed Fiske was on their side, Wade did not believe he was sending Ron into danger. "No," Ron replied immediately, "wait yes," he amended!

" _How is that going to help Larry," Kim asked almost screaming in panic, as her best friend was put in mortal danger, without any backup, in the background!?_

" _It's a geek thing," Larry replied with a smile._

 _"Relax Kim, Lawrence knows what he's talking about, don't you little brother," Kitty asked with a warning in her voice?_

"Uh **helloo** , little help here," Ron yelled! Ron was thankful for the last seven-months he had spent training with Rabbi K in Israeli Military Krav Maga, including the three months long SHIELD and Global Justice Basic Training Program (GJ/SBCP), Ron and Kim participated in this summer. If not for those two factors, Ron Stoppable would be dead right now. They were now considered to be Global Justice and SHIELD Independent Contractors, granting them the authority, rights, and privileges of GJ/SHIELD agents without the need to follow the chain of command. They answered **only** to directors, Dr. Elizabeth J. Director, and Col. Nick Fury, the bonus being that Agent Du, could no longer call them amateurs. Since the sitch at Camp Wannaweep, when he saved the entire cheer squad from his old camp nemesis Gill, Ron has made great strides to improve himself. Not just for missions, but for school, and other areas of his life. After some hard work and Ron's own tenacity, _though Kim calls it my pigheadedness; tomato, tomăto,_ he has pulled his grades up from near the bottom to respectable.

Larry continues, "To defeat the level nine Ogre, the hero must drink from his enchanted well." Ron gasped because he immediately understood what Larry was saying. Despite his drive to improve himself, monkeys were still a big – pardon the pun – monkey on his back, that went all the way back to that thrice damned camp. This whole case seemed to be designed to make him confront his fears over simians, and since Bobo was a chimpanzee his fears seemed groundless, such is the way of all irrational fears. So far, Ron had managed to avoid confronting his demons, now what Larry proposes would not only force Ron to confront them, it would put him neck-deep in it.

He wanted to refuse, to find another way, but looking back he saw Monkey Fist gaining on him, and Ron knew what the alternative would be. Ron sighed, "I must become that which I fear most," he said softly. "KP, no matter what happens, know that you are my best friend, and I'll see you at home." First, he had to lose Fiske, and his servant Bates, up ahead on the left they came to a room with a sign above the door that read 'Library,' and made straight for it.

Inside, row upon row of free-standing bookshelves reaching from the floor to almost the ceiling, encompassed by a room the size of a basketball court. Ron did not have time to check the subjects, but he would bet Rufus that the main subjects contained in these tomes were monkey related. Fiske entered shortly after Ron, leaving Bates outside in case Stoppable evaded his lordship. The lights were on, Fiske and Ron moved through the room quietly, one seeking, the other evading. They listened for any noise, to indicate where the other might be located.

Fiske moved down the outside of the shelves, then climbed atop them using his monkey agility. He jumped from stack to stack, which were sturdy and well built, nothing but the best for the Earl of Lincolnshire. Finally, after almost reaching the back shelves, and spotting nothing, Fiske reached the last two stacks, and peered below. There cowering in the middle was one Ronald Stoppable, moving his eyes to try watching in two directions at once. Monkey Fist sneered, _Time to die, my monkey-phobic friend._

At the same time Fist dropped, Ron took a running charge at the very first bookstack. In addition to combat training, Rabbi Katz, and the GJ/SDI's (Drill Instructors) have been putting Ron through strength and endurance training, and while he would never be huge, he has put on quite a bit of muscle over the last seven months, which translated to power. So, when Ron hit the stacks in the right place they went over like dominoes.

When Fiske reached the ground expecting to cushion his fall with Ron's body, all he felt was the pain of his own body crashing fully onto the floor. Fiske realized in his daze, what happened, "That damnable hologram… again," he screamed! In his anger, he failed to recognize the sound of falling bookstacks until it was almost too late. When he did, he began to run and jump as hard and fast as he could, but at the last moment stopped and leapt towards the ever-shrinking gap at the top of the stack. He landed in a heap against the back wall of his library. He was breathing so heavily, he was almost wheezing.

"CRASH!" The sound of ceramics breaking, could be heard from the hallway. Upon reaching the scene, Monkey Fist found Bates on the floor alive, but very much out of action for the rest of the evening. Shards of an old vase lay discarded around his servant's form, giving mute testimony to what happened.

Meanwhile, Ron made it back to the room where the monkey idols were standing, waiting. _I must become that which I fear the most._ Plucking up his courage, he ran into the center of the monkey idols, "Hey, monkey idols," Ron shouted, "Hit me!" A sky-blue beam of light shot out and struck the boy. The light was a mere byproduct, the beam interacted with his DNA, altering certain genes from recessive to dominant, or vice versa. The energy of the idols lifted Ron into the air, about the same height as the jungle canopy, where most monkeys dwell.

"NO, MONKEY POWER WAS TO BE RESERVED FOR ME AND ME ALONE," came a shout of despair from the entrance! Whatever the case, Monkey Fist was too late as he ran into the room. Ron dropped to the floor in a fluid crouch, a wicked grin on his face and devious gleam in his eye.

"Time for some smack monkey," he growled out the challenge.

Monkey Fist was fed up with the little bastard, and all too eager to vent his anger he returned the look with one of his own, "Bring it," he bellowed, dropping into a low stance of his own.

They charged each other and began raining blows upon blows on each other. They seemed to be evenly matched, pulling maneuvers that would seem impossible from the most unlikely angles. The monkey idols, not only modified Ron, and Monkey Fist's cells, they gave them the muscle memories that a master would have, not just of Tai Sheng Pek War, but of all the other monkey-based styles from around the world. That means that they have the same knowledge, and abilities where monkey-based martial arts are concerned. Lord Fiske has been training in Tai Sheng Pek War since he was a lad, so he gained no new knowledge, when it came to the previously mentioned martial arts. He was a master of the art and knew all the tricks, not to mention he had the anatomical features of a monkey, and there are only superficial differences between each martial art style.

Ron Stoppable however has _not_ been training in monkey kung fu, he _has_ trained in the IDF version of Krav Maga, which is an aggressive and brutal fighting style. He gained quite a bit of knowledge when he was hit with Mystical Monkey Power. His mind and body began to synchronize old knowledge with new knowledge. The grace and dexterity of the monkey martial arts, were harmonized with the efficiency, and viciousness of Krav Maga. Another major difference between the two combatants: Lord Montgomery Fiske, Earl of Lincolnshire, was a _gentleman_ ; Ronald Victor Stoppable was _not_.

Ron racked Monkey Fist in the balls three times in rapid succession. Fist let out a high-pitched yell, while clutching the male genitalia. Ron was not finished, stepping around the downed nobleman, he grabbed Fiske by his monkey tail, and with a mighty heave, swung him into the nearest wall. Ron went to check, and sure enough the lord was out cold, very much alive, but out like a candle. Ron stood up and wobbled, dragging Fist with him back into the center of the monkey-idols. "Monkey idols," he said, his voice cracking with fatigue, "take your power back from us!" He closed his eyes and waited, then waited some more, when nothing happened he amended his request, "Okay, take my monkey-power back!" Again, nothing happened, and he sighed, "I guess, I'm stuck with this Mystical Monkey Power."

Ron called in Global Justice for back up and to take Lord Fiske into custody. Ron filled out a statement, which was corroborated by CCTV and listening devices, Fiske added for security purposes. They saw Fiske lose it, before Ron even began asking questions. The phrase 'jumping the gun' was an understatement, when he revealed everything after a request for information that anyone in their right minds would never construe as interrogative. Ron's statement was taken, then he boarded a Global Justice transport and headed home.

* * *

 **Middleton, CO. Home of Ron Stoppable**

Ron walked into his house, his mom was home. He walked in through the door and found the living room lights on, and his mother standing there. "Hey mom," he said, grinning, "what are you doing up?"

Vicky looked at her son, then looked him over, "Kimberly called me and told me what happened," she replied calmly. "Your best friend," she smiled approvingly, before returning to her concerned parent face, "wanted to come home tonight, to see if you were alright," she informed her son, "but, she's been away from her family _enough_ this summer, so I convinced her that I could take care of my son, until she got back."

Ron smiled sheepishly, "What can I say, Wade fooled me with the HoloKim," he continued defending Wade, "it wasn't his fault, Monte was a client after all, how could we have known he was the villain in all this?"

Vicky nodded understanding intellectually, that her son was right, "That's true, there was no way, Wade could've known about Lord Fiske's involvement," she conceded. She walked over taking his hand, leading him over to the couch, she sat him down and he winced slightly. "Please, lift up your shirt," Ron's mom ordered.

Ron complied meekly, he knew that until she examined him herself, she would not be convinced of his health. Right now, Victoria Raven Stoppable, was not a Major from SHIELD's Intelligence Analysis Division, reporting directly to Colonel Nicholas J. Fury, himself. She was Vicky Stoppable, mom; a force even stronger than the Hulk. Ron's torso is a purple quilt of bruises, which while flabby and feeble in the past, has become lean and muscular, thanks to the drill instructors of SHIELD, Global Justice, and Rabbi Katz. Mrs. Stoppable runs her hands over her son's chest, pressing gently though he still hisses, when she gets to certain tender areas. "How's it feeling Ronnie," she asks?

He grunts, then replies, "Not gonna lie mom," Ron answered, "the first hour or two, it hurt like a mother…," he smiled up at her getting a small smile in return, "now it just stings like a bitch," he said, getting a smack to the back of the head, which just causes him to grin wider, "I think by tomorrow it'll just hurt like hell."

Frustrated with her son's cheekiness, Victoria goes from concern mother to irate parent, "Fine, if you're not gonna take this seriously, give me a full report on Fiske," she demands. So, he tells her what happened at the manor, while she listens to his tale she thinks, _so that's what happened to him?_ Ron finishes his story and could barely stifle his yawns. "Okay mister, that's enough fun for one night, go on up to bed," she gets up to kiss him on the forehead, "see you in the morning."

"Night mom," Ron said, "Love ya."

"Goodnight honey, I love you too," Vicky replied.


	3. 002: Shell

X-Possible

Shell

* * *

Ronald Victor Stoppable's dreams are chaotic. At first his dreams are normal, tacos, nachos, and a cornucopia of tex-mex, cheesy goodness. Then they change, they become scenes of battles with unimaginably, powerful beings. He is fighting an onslaught of gods and goddesses, by himself or with two other people. He uses a combination of overpowering might, sly, mischievous cunning, and devious, almost ruthless tactics. He catches a glimpse of his reflection in a standing pool of water, he perceives his own face, but it looks more like a…

… Ron sits bolt upright in his bed, with a shout. He is breathing heavily, and the dream remains fresh in his mind as if it was not simply a dream, but a transfer of knowledge. Ron realizes it is morning and like he learned in boot camp over the summer, he gets up and goes about the business of getting ready for the day. It has been three days, since the events of what he has come to call, Monkey Fist Manor. _I miss you KP, come home soon._

FLASHBACK: Three days ago, …

The day after, he woke up to a surprise, all the bruising from the fight the night before, was completely gone. It was unusual, but not unheard of for some people to heal more quickly than others. "Coolio," Ron said, "now I can do some training without having to fight through the pain!" He trained his usual routines but did not feel the usual burn he normally felt when exercising. _I'll add heavier wrist and ankle weights and up the rep count, hmm, I've just started to use the ten-pound weights, guess Boot made me stronger than I thought._ Ron replaced the tens with twelves, then began his routine all over again, he felt the burn like normal, and sighed as he continued his normal routine, adding sixty extra repetitions. When he was finished he was satisfied with how his body felt, like it normally would after a good workout. The burn lasted only five seconds before he felt like he had not worked out at all, but he felt stronger. So, he did it again, the same weight, each exercise was done for five minutes each. Pushups, situps, pull ups, chin ups, etc., he was able to keep up the pace for each drill, then after those calisthenics he went for a run. He did not jog, he ran, sprinted until he began to feel exhausted, at that point he had run ten miles, then he turned around and ran twice as hard back to his house, where he finally felt his body begin to burn like normal. Then he went in his house, fixed himself a high caloric lunch, to replace what he expended. As soon as he finished eating, it happened again, his body felt stronger, yet he felt as if he had not worked out at all today when he knows for sure he has. "What the hell is happening," he yells, his mother was not in, she had to run into work and file the intel, Ron supplied her with the night before!

That night, he began dreaming of battles with gods and goddesses. When he woke, the second day after the Monkey Fist adventure, he felt his mind filled with information. Mostly, the information was about exercising, and he knew what the exercises were meant to do. They were meant to make him stronger and more agile. Back before this summer's training, he would have been foolish and ignored this information, simply because it frightened him. Now, he has learned to be brave, to control his emotions, and accepting of circumstances. _Who better to follow advice from than your own mind?_ Thus, Ron Stoppable, the Middleton Mad Dog, began a course of training, that would train him in several martial arts whose movements were based on monkeys.

Later that day he went to see Rabbi Jeremiah Katz, "Good afternoon honored Rabbi," Ron greeted his friend and mentor.

"Hello Ronald," the rabbi returned, greeting his young friend, "welcome back from Great Britain."

"Thanks Rabbi K, it's good to be back, things got a little dicey in merry, old England," Ron supplied.

Rabbi K shook his head, "I have been there, sometimes intel is wrong, or you do not get all of the information you need, missions like this teach you to stay on your toes."

Ron nodded solemnly, looking to the left, lost in thought, "the thing is, I was right about Montgomery Fiske being bad road, yet I don't feel satisfied, or vindicated for calling it." He launched into his tale of Monte Fiske and the monkey idols. The rabbi listened as he steepled his hands and smiled behind them. After finishing his tale Ron concluded with, "Why don't I feel better about being right," he asked? "I am not usually right about this kind of thing, shouldn't I be delighted that for once I was right about something?"

Rabbi JK lowered his hand, he was smiling in admiration at the teen, "I would never presume to tell anyone how to feel or how to react to life situations," the rabbi began, "however, I do have a theory on why you feel as you do."

Ron perked up upon hearing that his friend had a theory, "I'm all ears rabbi."

"Well, first let me ask this, other than your instincts, did you have any proof, or did you ever witness anything to give you reason to believe Fiske, was your enemy," Jeremiah Katz asked?

Ron thought back to the first meeting of the not so good lord, with Ron's eidetic memory it was not difficult to do. Ron's eyes went wide, "No, there was nothing, the only reason I thought he was bad road, and the only reason I didn't like him was because of his association with monkeys." Ron looked down feeling so ashamed of himself, he could not believe he acted like his uncle Graydon Creed. Vicky and Tom raised Ron better than this, he feels so disgusted with himself, he thought _I might as well paint a swastika on my forehead._

Rabbi watches the realization wash over his student in not only fighting, but life as well. "There you have it Ronald, the reason you do not feel good for being right about Fiske, is because your enmity for him was based on your prejudice of his life's work," he said. "That you were correct about his character is not only beside the point," Rabbi continued, "it has also exacerbated your guilt subconsciously."

"Oh man, I feel like a major dick, this is worse than going to Camp Wannaweep," Ron exclaimed in disgust at himself.

"Please, calm down Ronald," the rabbi ordered gently, "you are not the first to succumb to the base desire to hate what you fear, most would bottle it up and keep it hidden," Katz said, "or worse, use it as validation for the future. You at least have noticed the anomaly and can now extract it and learn from your mistake. You are also not the only person in this room to let your prejudices runaway with you, there have been times where I have used preconceived notions to justify my treatment of other people." Ron's eyes widen in surprise, Rabbi K has always seemed like the last person to let his emotions get the better of him, and Ron says as much. The rabbi shook his head sadly, "I am still human Ronald, and nobody is born wise, though I do not consider myself to be particularly wise, just experienced."

They were quiet for a few minutes, when the rabbi stood, and so did Ron, "let us head to the gym, I want to know what you learned from SHIELD and Global Justice, and how much I have to retrain you after their influence, move out, כֶּלֶב (dog.)"

Ron popped tall, and saluted like American soldiers, "מיד, רבי! (At once Rabbi!), in flawless Hebrew. The two friends, spent two full hours doing their very best to kill each other. Ron seemed to be even better than expected, and able to make attacks and defend against them from the most unlikely angles. It was only the Rabbi's kidon training and experience that kept him from taking more hits than normal. Finally, the rabbi called a halt to the sparring session, he was sweating which was new, because he has never even breathed hard when training with his young friend. "Wow, the boot camp you went to must have been something for you to be able to perform like this Ronald."

"I'm not gonna front, it was tough, and since there was almost no firearms training, most of the combat they taught us was CQC (Close Quarter Combat), with only passing familiarity with guns." Ron had a private, proud smile on his face, "Kim was the best at that, no surprise there, and I was in the top five of a 25-person class, thanks to you of course, and watching and sparring with Kim all these years."

Rabbi Katz smiled back at Ron acknowledging the praise, "Thank you for the compliment Ronald, it is good to be praised and appreciated occasionally. Now, I should go and rest up for Sabbath in two days, will I see you there?

"Of course, unless there is a mission or a KP slash family emergency, I never miss the Sabbath," Ron said heading for the door with his friend. "I'll see you, Saturday, Rabbi." He said and then walked out.

FLASHBACK END… Today

Ron takes a shower and goes through his morning rituals, he wipes the mirror off and begins to brush his teeth. He does not notice anything amiss until he looks in the mirror and studies his reflection, specifically his hair color. All Ron's life his hair has been blonde, the same shade as wheat, today that changed, much of his hair was still blonde, intermixed were strands of crimson. It was not following any kind of pattern, just a lock here, and a strand there, it kind of reminded him of tiger stripes. He squinted at it, the red reminded him of some of the pictures his mom showed him of his grandmother, Raven Darkholme.

After finishing in the bathroom, he went downstairs where his mother was cooking breakfast, he sat at the table. One thing Vicky and her son love to do is cook, it is one of the few things they have bonded over. They also took turns on Saturdays and Sundays, alternating between breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Ron was wearing his usual red jersey, black mock turtleneck, tan cargo pants, and white sneakers. The basic training over the summer, and improvements from just after the Gill case, have altered his physique to make them fit just right. Vicky had on a yellow tank top and knee length shorts, to match well with her own sunny blonde hair, with a brown leather belt and sandals to go with her brown eyes. "Morning Mom," Ron said.

"Good morning Ronnie," she says as she turns to look at him, and pauses, "what did you do to your hair, son?"

"Yeah," Ron said fingering his locks, "they weren't like this when I went to bed last night, you can talk to Rabbi K tomorrow and he should confirm it. I pretty much trained all day yesterday, so I haven't looked in a mirror since yesterday morning."

His mother nodded, her son was many things, but a liar was not one of them. _Well, mother has hair like that,_ but she focused on the other thing he said. "I know you're happy with the results of your training, but it's important to let your body rest after such strenuous activity, especially after what happened Tuesday night," she chastised her son.

Ron nodded, "I wasn't trying to do anything strenuous on Wednesday, I was just going to do a light work out to keep up good habits. I didn't feel like I normally would after a workout, even a light one should have given me some strain if I was doing it right." Vicky nodded in understanding and indicated for him to continue. "I thought maybe, I was just used to the ten-pound ankle and wrist weights, so I upped them to twelve pounds, did the same workout and I did feel the strain after I finished, but for only like ten seconds. Even, a light workout should have had me feeling the strain for at least half a day. It wasn't until I upped my reps and did each exercise for five minutes each, then ran twenty miles total that I felt the burn of a full exercise regimen. That was Wednesday, the day after I was struck by some kind of energy, to fight a human-monkey hybrid."

Vicky listened to her son describe the events of the last few days, she was beginning to feel apprehensive. What he was describing sounded like the early stages of a healing factor. When a person exercises they are essentially destroying their bodies, which is where the aches and pains come from after a workout. What he explained to her sounded like his body was healing the damage to his body that a workout causes. _Well, Father has a healing factor, which is why nobody seems to be able to put him down like the rabid animal he is._ She looked at her son, and knew he was thinking the same thing, she smiled, "Honey," she said walking over to kneel in front of him, "no matter what happens you are still my son, and I am still your mother. You know everything I know about my family, who my father and mother are, who my brother is, all I can tell you is no matter what circumstances drove them to be the people they are, the bottom line is, they chose how they wanted to live their lives. My father Victor Creed, aka Sabretooth, chose to be a homicidal maniac, he could blame it on others all he wants, the military, the government, or the Weapon X program. He chose to dwell on all that pain and let it turn into hatred. There is another man, Logan is his name, who went through many of the same ordeals my father did, some even worse in my opinion, and he is someone I admire very much, and he is a good friend of mine."

"My mother, Raven Darkholme, aka Mystique, I don't know much about her past, but she chose her path in life the same as Victor Creed." Vicky kept her eyes steady upon her son's, so he could see the conviction in her eyes, as she told him her beliefs about her family.

"Mom and dad are bad people, I won't deny that, but the biggest disgrace to our family, in my eyes is my brother Graydon. We both went through hell growing up without parents, in orphanages and foster homes where the foster parents only cared about the money they received from the state. He let his fear and anger turn into hatred. I was angry too, and afraid, but turned it into motivation and determination to do better and make for myself a better life, and to give you a better life than I had growing up." She stood up and gave him a motherly kiss on the forehead, "if you are becoming a mutant, we can't do anything until the mutation fully manifests, so there is no sense in worrying about it until it happens." There was a knock at the door, Victoria stood back up, and returned to the stove, "could you get that dear, breakfast is almost ready?"

Ron stood up saying, "Sure mom," while turning to leave the kitchen, he stopped, turned back, walked to his mother, and enveloped her in a hug from the side, he was even with her height, which was new, but most teenagers especially boys, begin going through growth spurts at some point. He kisses his mother's cheek, "Thank you mom, for being my mother, and for being a mother, I cannot imagine what I would do without you."

Vicky's eyes moisten when he says that, and places her hand on his, "You're welcome Ronnie, just remember this the next time I ground you for something," she says, as the second knock hits the door, "now scoot along, and answer the door," she orders while swatting his behind.

"Yes ma'am," he says hustling to the door. Ron opens it and at first doesn't see anybody, then lowering his neck he notices a young boy of African descent. He is slender, with curly, dark hair, in the high and tight cut, he is wearing a blue jean jacket, with light blue Masters of the Universe t-shirt, and blue jeans and black sneakers. Ron has seen him before, but cannot seem to place him, until he remembers the context of a viewscreen. Ron's eyes widen, as he recognizes his friend, "Wade, is that really you?"

* * *

The minivan wove through the nighttime streets of Middleton, Colorado. The vehicle meticulously maintained the speed limit, as the conscientious driver, a middle-aged man with a graying, brown, business-style haircut, used care and a steady hand, to maneuver the vehicle. He was James Timothy Possible, thirty-eight, rocket scientist and senior projects administrator, at the Middleton Space Center. He is an uncomplicated man, with strong values, and an inner strength that many of his friends, and colleagues, as well as the few enemies he has earned, have come to respect. Jim Possible, Sr, has only two loves in his life, science, and his family, the second is far and away more beloved than the first.

Beside him in the passenger seat of the family car, sat his also thirty-eight-year-old, wife of seventeen years, world renowned neurosurgeon, chief of surgery and neurological medicine at Medical City Middleton, Anne Gail Possible (née Pryde). While considered beautiful among her peers, with short-length red hair, blue, wisdom-filled eyes, and pinkish skin, she is a pleasant, perceptive, but firm woman, with a cheerful understanding disposition. Right now, Anne's eyes kept glancing at the sideview mirrors of the minivan into the backseat where their children sat quietly awaiting arrival at the family home.

Their precocious sons, James and Timothy, carbon copies of her husband, and looking enough like each other to make some wonder if James T. Possible, might have participated in a cloning experiment sometime in the past, were sitting behind their father. They were uncharacteristically quiet on the car ride home from visiting Anne's brother Carmen Pryde, his wife Theresa, and their two children Katherine, about to return to the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youth in Westchester, New York, and younger son Lawrence. Jim and Tim Possible would normally be chattering nonstop, about science fiction, or whatever invention they were fabricating that would cause the most mayhem. They were quiet out of respect for the teenage girl sitting directly behind their mother.

This teen looked very much like her mother, except her eyes were emerald-green and held an intelligent, yet still naïve mind, with longer hair. She was none other than up and coming teen heroine, Kimberly Anne Possible, who recently began taking on megalomaniacal villains. She was your basic, average teenage girl whose version of volunteer work and an after-school job, included using over a dozen styles of Chinese martial arts, with cheerleader, and gymnastics movements to take on super villains, that were deemed small fry for agencies like SHIELD and Global Justice, but too powerful for the FBI, US Marshals, or other normal law enforcement agencies. As a SHIELD and Global Justice Independent Contractor, she and her partner and best friend, Ronald Victor Stoppable, were just starting to make a difference.

The entire trip from the Prydes' had been a quiet affair. The silence only punctuated by requests from the tweebs for bathroom breaks and snacks. Kim never left her seat the entire car ride home. Three days ago, Ron went to meet with Lord Monte Fiske, a recent client who commissioned Team Possible to retrieve an ancient simian artifact. This was one of the few gigs for which Team Possible charged a fee, high five figures. They got the monkey idol, which was stolen that same night by a ninja. Fast forward to the summer, Kim and Ron go through a militaristic boot camp and special agent training program, which gave them credentials and would allow them to be considered for missions from SHIELD and Global Justice when the threat is minimal, and they cannot spare the personnel. _It's a good thing, after the whole Wannaweep sitch, Ron began training with Rabbi Katz, who was a member of a Kidon unit in Israel in the 70's, or he would not have made it, and who knew constant ridicule, and persecution from bullies, and Mr. Barkin could toughen you up mentally for the mental and emotional torture/conditioning of boot camp?_

From the word monkey, Ron and Fiske despised each other, the only thing they agreed upon was to let Kim do the talking between them. _Ron always said Fiske was bad road, I dismissed his animosity as him projecting his fears onto Fiske._ Since, their reputation was on the line, Wade worked over the summer to uncover any information on the idol. Last week Kim and Ron returned from their summer of training. Wade found something on the idols, and the Team decided to talk to Lord Fiske, but it would have to wait until Kim returned from spending time with her mom's family, _with cousin Larry; at least Kitty was home from Westchester for the summer, she and I have always gotten along, and were even able to get a good sparring session going, before I heard about the sitch with Ron in England._ Somehow, Wade was able to convince Ron with a hologram of Kim to go to England, to question Fiske about the information Wade gathered. _Come on, Ron how could you mistake a projection for me, didn't we hug when I showed up to get you?_ Monte Fiske tried to kill Ron, Kim's best friend in the whole world, she shuddered at the thought. Kim did not even want to think about anything happening to her Ron.

Kim really tore into Wade for tricking Ron into going alone. Fiske might have _been_ a client, but a ninja did steal the idol within hours of the retrieval. Who knows if more were out there targeting Fiske, ninja prefer anonymity, and may have decided to silence Ron to keep the air of mystery? _"Whether Fiske was a client or not is beside the point Wade,"_ she remembered shouting at her technical expert, webmaster, and friend on-thin-ice, _"the point is you conned one of us! You breached our trust, which almost cost one of us our lives, one little mistake," Kim visibly shivered when she thought about it, "and Ron would have been killed!"_ Kim looked at her young friend, via the Kimmunicator viewscreen to see if he understood the ramifications of his actions. The widening of his eyes indicated he did, Wade may have been a genius with computers and other technical subjects, but he was eleven years old and thought like one. _"Now, because Ron was mostly unharmed, I am willing to forgive, if you understand, what Ron, Rufus and I do isn't a video game, we don't get a reset button when we die, we just die."_

" _Oh my god Kim,"_ Wade profusely apologized, _"I am so sorry, I promise I will never do something like this again, please forgive me!"_

Kim hid a smile, _between me, Ron, and his parents, we'll raise a fine young man,_ then she grew stern and looked the little boy in the face, _"I accept your apology Wade, and forgive you for the breach of trust, but you owe someone else an apology for risking their lives on an invention,"_ she looked at him pointedly, she was not going to say it, because compelled apologies in her opinion were not genuine.

 _"Ron,"_ Wade asked, to which Kim just nodded with a bright smile? _"Okay Kim, I'll talk to him, and apologize."_

 _"Please and thank you Wade,"_ Kim smiled again, and hit the cancel button closing communications. That was two days ago, when the Possibles decided to cut their vacation short, at the request of their daughter. Ron was okay, according to him, his mother, and Global Justice medical personnel. However, Kim and Anne like most women would not be reassured until they saw, and Kim held him in her arms for a while, and the elder Possible female could examine him herself. The male Possibles were no less worried, Ron was family in all but blood as far as James Possible was concerned, and the tweebs have always seen Ron as an older brother.

The minivan turned onto Maple, the street where they lived. At the third house they pulled into the driveway, Kim had kept her luggage light for this trip, just two suitcases for normal clothes and mission outfits and hygienics, and a garment bag for a dress or two. She had kept her luggage right behind her seat, as soon as the car came to a halt she was economy in motion as she grabbed her luggage, phased through the van door, was at the door to her house faster than rain could fall, then inside, and up the stairs to her room depositing her bags on her bed.

Kim closed her eyes, in her mind her Ron flashed through various points in their life together and those thoughts relaxed her body, then they snapped open and her eyes were glowing green with reflected light, they were the eyes of a feline, able to change size and shape as she needed. Her body began to change as fine red fur grew all over her, her fingernails grew thicker and became stronger, her teeth grew sharper, her jaw more powerful. Her hands and feet remained largely the same except slits formed from which claws were projected and retracted, and since her feet were bare from kicking off her sandals, there was another set coming from her feet. In this form she went from five feet five inches, to seven feet tall, weighing 115 pounds soaking wet, to 210 pounds, and was stronger than ten lions and could run faster than a cheetah, but with the endurance of an Olympic marathon runner. Her clothes when she bought them were sprayed with a special compound, developed jointly by Wade and her father, that allowed them to expand and contract when she transformed. Kim could leap from the ground to the height of a four-story building, and leap to the ground from a twenty-story building and walk away without a problem.

Whether she was transformed or not, she could make herself intangible like her cousin Kitty Pryde, she could use all her senses, which are heightened, equal to any cat's. She has no whiskers like a cat, nature is practical and such things would be useless on this organism, but her fingers are just as sensitive as any cat's whiskers. Her ears became more like a cat's or a fox', as well as acute hearing and ranging as high and low in frequency. Kim's physique changed, while the overall shape remained the same, the functionality became more pronounced. She turned and called back, **"I'm going to Ron's come there if you feel like it, but I'll be back later,"** Kim growled out in a deeper voice. Then she bolted through her wall, phasing through it instantly.

Kim is a mutant, a human being, who possesses a genetic trait called an X-gene that allows the mutant to naturally develop superhuman powers, and abilities, and are considered the next stage in human evolution, whether this is true or not is a subject of much debate. Kim keeps her mutation a secret from the public, not out of shame, more out of modesty, only her family and Ron's know about it. To Kim, letting someone know about her mutation, is akin to letting someone know what color her nipples were, or when her period is each month. She gets her X-gene from both sides of her family, her parents are carriers of it and passed it on to her, and possibly her brothers.

Kim Possible reached her top speed of 80 miles per hour, as soon as she landed from her second story bedroom. Ron's house is twenty houses down from hers and on Elm court, a cul-de-sac, his is the only house on the street. Kim smiles ruefully as she runs, _Ron knows my time of the month already, and he has even seen my nipples, from all the missions we go on we've had to change into mission clothes, from our normal clothes quite a few times and we didn't always have time to hunt for privacy._ Kim's eyes glow like the predators she resembles, the night is as clear to her as daylight. Her ears and sense of smell are as acute as any feline in the wild. She comes to the first house running on all fours, she comes to a brief stop, crouches, and leaps sixty feet high, to the roof of another second story house. She lites upon the roof softly and turns slightly intangible so her weight does not damage any roofing material. Then begins running over the rooftops, making a beeline toward her best friend's house. _"I'm coming Ron, please be okay!_


	4. 003: School Day

X-Possible

School Day

* * *

The front door of Middleton High opened, and through it walked emerging teen heroine, Kim Possible. She was wearing the latest trends from Club Banana, a lime-green tank-top, stopping just below her bust, baring her midriff, hip-hugging capris jeans, and plain tennis shoes. She carried a plain grey backpack, slung over one shoulder. She walked down the halls grinning and waving at those who greeted her. There was the warm air of familiarity that they showed her, followed by a curious, mystified expression when they looked next to her. This caused her to glance to her side without alarm, and smile at her best friend walking beside her, they were shoulder to shoulder.

Striding next to her was a blonde-headed, streaked with red, standing an inch taller than her, boy whose face looked familiar, with brown eyes, and an angular, boyish face, big ears that looked slightly pointed, as well as the three freckles on both cheeks. He wore a happy expression, tinged with grief, as he walked with confidence next to the red-head. In the minds of the other students, it looked a little like Ron Stoppable, but that could _not_ be right, Ron Stoppable's body never looked that good. The clothes were the same, the hockey jersey over a black turtleneck, and beige cargo pants, now held up under the jersey by suspenders, including a brown leather backpack, but the body was different. This body looked fit and trim, and while the normally baggy clothes still looked too big for his frame, they could tell by the breadth of his shoulders that he had a lean, muscular physique, and walked with the same economy of motion, as the girl walking beside him. Kim wished, he would dress a little more stylishly, but it really was not a very big ish with her, he would not be her Ron if he dressed like that. _I'll be the fashion maven for us, and only insist on proper attire when it's necessary._

They reached their lockers, located right next to each other this year. They opened their respective domains depositing the backpacks inside. Kim turned to her best friend, her brother in all the ways that mattered, and placing a hand on his shoulder asked, "How are you holding up Ronnie, it's only been a week since Rufus left us?"

"I'm not gonna front KP," he said his voice trembling, "the first few nights, the first week really, were the hardest I've faced since Camp Wannaweep."

"I wish there was _something_ I could do to help ease your pain," Kim said with a tear running down her face, "just know, that I am here for you, whenever you need to talk, okay?" Ron nodded lowering his head, but that was not good enough for Kim, " _Hey_ ," she said lifting his head up by the chin to look her in the eye, " **whenever, wherever,** I am your best friend," she said, "you mean everything to me Ron Stoppable," she pulled him into her arms, and hugged him tightly.

Ron tightened his hold, and returned the hug, with one just as powerful, "Right back at you KP, unless Josh Mankey happens to be around," he said slyly. "You tend to turn your head off, when he's around."

Kim's embarrassed blush could have competed with her hair for redness, and still maintaining the hug, hits Ron on his now firm shoulders. "I wasn't that bad Ronald Stoppable," she hissed in his now more acute ear.

"Of course not," Ron said lightly, "I'll just make sure the next time, Josh asks you to the Spring Fling dance, I'm not standing in a closet. I'm lucky the janitor had to clean the gym the next morning or I'd have been in there the whole weekend." Kim's arms tightened around her best friend's neck as she remembered her actions back then. She berated herself for that lapse a hundred times and swore to herself that she'd be a better friend than that. Ron would never have forgotten about her like that, he even quit his dream job at Bueno Nacho to come rescue her, even though they had been fighting at the time. In a low voice, she whispered to him, "I'm sorry about that Ronnie," Kim said right into his ear, using her pet name for him when she is being her most sincere, "you deserve a better friend than that, and after what happened to Rufus, I promise to step in and fill the void he left in your heart. I can't and won't try to replace him, because he is irreplaceable, both as a teammate and a friend, but I will be as true to you as he ever was, from here on out." Ron was stunned, and tears began to well up in his eyes, both at the thought of his little buddy leaving them, and at how his best friend chose to console him.

They did not care that every eye in the halls was glued to them, as far as both were concerned the only person that mattered, in the world, was holding them now. "What's the matter K," said a snarky, conceited voice, "the idiot's rat die, or something?" Kim's eyes widen, Ron gasps and his lip trembles, and the next thing Bonnie knows, she is being pushed into a locker and Kim is in her face.

Kim has only ever moved that fast when she was fighting Shego. "Don't you _ever_ , say that to me or Ron again," Kim's voice is dripping with menace, "do we understand each other, Bonnie Rockwaller?" Bonnie's eyes are wide, she had never seen Kim lose it like she just did, "you can say anything you want about me, Bonnie," Kim continued through gritted teeth, "but until further notice, you don't breathe an insulting word to me or Ron about Rufus, or I'll make sure you look worse than DNAmy after I'm done with you, understood," Kim growls? Bonnie nodded frantically, but then a hand rested on Kim's shoulder, she did not need to turn around to tell whose hand it was, she would know the feel of his hand anywhere.

"It's okay, Kim," the voice of Ron said, as he rubbed the back of her shoulder, "Rufus, is in a better place now," he continued in a subdued voice, "he can't be hurt by Bonnie, anymore." Everybody's eyes widened, and they gasped, Ron without Rufus was like a pizza without cheese, it was still edible and quite good, but there was just something fundamentally wrong about the idea.

Kim backed away from her fellow cheerleader, and looked at her partner, or at least the most important person in her world right now, she noted Ron's dull eyes and waning smirk. She returned it, with a warm, caring one of her own, "Come on Ron, let's go to class," she said taking him by the arm and threading hers through his, and pressing her shoulder into his, then began pulling him along, "we have a new chemistry teacher who's supposed to be world renowned, I hear he volunteered to do it as a sort of getting back to basics crusade."

Before they were out of earshot, Bonnie said something unusual, "I'm sorry Ron," she said loudly enough for them to hear, "I'm sorry about Rufus, if it wasn't for you, and him, I would have become the bride of fish sticks last year, so thank you." The couple turned and nodded thanks to their tormentor for recognizing the truce, where Rufus was concerned, with that both sides turned and walked away.

* * *

Kim and Ron walked into their Chemistry 2 class room and lab. They sat down next to each other, waiting for class to start. They began chatting about everything except the vacancy in Team Possible. What was most on Kim's mind was what Ron told her when she reached his house two weeks ago, after she returned from her family's summer vacation. Wade had already been and gone, delivering his apology to Ron in person. It seems that since Kim and Ron were away at boot camp and special agent training for SHIELD and Global Justice, the two agencies sent a trainer over to Wade's house and trained him in learning how to support his field operatives. The trainer upgraded his equipment and made him do the same physical conditioning exercises as Kim and Ron, to help Wade understand what Kim and Ron were going through.

 _"Oh, Ron," Kim said, her voice distraught over her mistake, she flung herself at him, running her hands all over his body looking for damage, "I am so sorry I didn't listen to you when you told me Monkey Fist was bad road." Kim had arrived five-seconds ago, and they were still in the door. She broke down and cried into his chest, having long since reverted to her base form. Ron was so surprised by her apology that he did not react for another minute or two._

 _Ron brought his arms up around his best friend's shoulders, she snuggled her face even deeper into_ her _Ron's now more muscular chest. Ron picked her up and carried her bridal style into the living room, while kicking the door closed. He sat down on the couch, bringing her down to sit beside him. He caressed her head and threaded his fingers through her hair, like he always did when she cried, he is the only person outside of her parents, she ever cried around. They were alone in the house, Vicky having taken Rufus to a specialist she knew to determine why his health seemed to be deteriorating. "Kim, KP," he began, "it's alright, I'm okay, I wasn't harmed beyond a few bruises, and they're a small price to pay for the valuable lesson, I learned." Kim nodded into his chest, and breathed in his scent, she may not be in her anthropomorphic state, but her senses were always active. "I'll tell you another thing, Kim," Ron continued, as he stroked her hair some more, "after speaking with Rabbi Katz, I'm glad you didn't listen to me."_

 _Kim sat up, looking at him in disbelief, "but Ron, not listening to you almost got you killed."_

 _"Yes, but, if you had listened to me, you and I would be no better than my uncle Graydon, or Eric Magnus Lensherr," he told her, which made her flinch like he had physically slapped her. Just like he knew about, and has seen her mutation in full effect, and_ still _told her she looked beautiful, Kim knew all about Ron's family tree,_ my **brother** from another mother, is not his uncle _, and any mutant in the struggle for equal rights, knew who Graydon Creed was, and knew of the_ terrorist _Magneto. "Kim, I had absolutely zero proof of anything regarding old Monte," Ron began, pulling her back into a hug, kissing the top of her forehead, "there was nothing that led me to believe that he was the_ bad road, _I made him out to be. The_ only _reason I suspected him was, because of my aversion to his life's work, studying monkeys. That he turned himself into a monkey-human hybrid, tried to kill me, and got me exposed to a mystical force, that, according to Wade when he scanned me, has awakened my X-gene," Kim gasped at that, but Ron only smiled at her, "now that, is all the proof I need to know that he_ is _500 miles of bad road."_

Skip forward to today, it appears Ron has acquired most of his grandfather's mutation, and a dash of his grandmother for flavor. Kim glanced up at Ron's red-striped hair, in the last two weeks Ron's healing factor has progressed to be equal to, and even a little faster than uncle Logan's version. Ron's endurance, while still not equal to Wolverine's is still increasing daily. He has told her, that his senses are increasing not only in acuity, but threshold frequency, now approaching her own.

To say nothing of the gifts, the mystical monkey power, as Ron remembers Monkey Fist calling it, have bestowed on him. Ron tells her of his dreams, where he witnesses and participates in cataclysmic battles, and every morning finds his mind saturated with information, regarding training of his new body, and mind. Far from making him forget knowledge he already has; the new information finds a way to work with Ron's older information. She watched him perform a kata from one of the martial arts contained in his brain, his mutation worked with the MMP to speed up the process of gaining muscle memory. The second time she watches him perform that kata he was significantly better at it, approaching her level of one of the sixteen forms of Chinese martial arts, she is so close to mastering. _I wonder how competent he's gotten in two weeks?_ "Hey Ron," she speaks up, he looks at her curiously, "Would you like to start sparring with me, I've noticed you're getting better and better in your forms training," she compliments but adds, "but forms are just a fraction of the training needed to be competent in martial arts?"

Ron's face took on a thoughtful expression, "well, I still have Rabbi Katz training me in combat and we spar all the time," he says, she looks down thinking he rejected her proposal, she felt so sad that she thought her best friend was turning her down, "but he's not exactly a spring chicken, and I can tell I'm starting to tax him. I'll continue to train and learn under him, his fighting style, and spar with him if he asks, but I don't see what it can hurt to get in a little extra practice with my best friend. He did say when I started training with him that once I got up in levels, he would start allowing me to spar with you." Kim leans back smiling happily, but Ron was not finished, "however I'm not just going to be fighting you, with the new styles my mind is training me in, I'm going to use everything I've learned to test myself against you." He stopped and leaned forward because the desks were filling all around them. "So, you better do the same KP, don't slack off, or go easy on me because you fear you could hurt me. As Rabbi Katz says, 'it is better to test your limits in training, than in the thick of battle,' besides with the way I heal you don't need to worry about injuring me." Ron says, "do you think you can pretend I'm one of your deadliest enemies for the short few times we'll be sparring?"

Kim was surprised at his vehemence, he was serious, she had only intended to test him, but then after thinking about it, she realized in the back of her mind that she really wanted to test herself, to test her own limits against him, "Yes, I can, and will," Kim answered definitively, "when we face each other, I promise, I will fight you just as hard as I fight Shego, or any of our other enemies."

At that moment the bell rings, and all students grow still and quiet. Before the door opens Kim and Ron begin to sniff the air, and a familiar scent precedes the figure that enters. "No… way," Ron whispers in astonishment, "did you know he was coming KP?"

"No," Kim answers just as surprised, "I didn't, and Dad never mentioned cousin Henry coming for a visit."

The door opened, and there stood none other than Dr. Henry Phillip McCoy, PHD in all his blue-furred anthropoidal glory. He would have stood 6'3", if his natural posture was not stooped a little, so he stood an even six-feet tall, in a brown suit, a plain dress shirt, which did little to hide the powerful muscles of his body, and a tie the color of his fur. That is correct, over every inch of his exposed flesh, namely his head, which had a strong chin with a warmly smiling mouth, opened to reveal a set of teeth, four of which were slightly, elongated canines, glasses supported by pointed ears, hands with long fingers ending not in fingernails, but claws, and two feet the size of boats, which also happened to end in claws. "Good morning class," he spoke in a civilized, urbane baritone, most of the class was stunned by his appearance, two were flat-out dumbfounded by the simple fact that he was there at all. "I said, Good Morning, Class!"

"Good morning sir," all but two in the class chorus.

"Morning Hank," Kim pipes up.

"Hiya, doctor McCoy," Ron replies opting for a more formal address.

Hank's smile widens, truly feeling welcome by at least two members of the student body, the rest of which whip their heads around to their two classmates. "Ah, doctor or mister McCoy, Kimberly, while we're in school, if you please."

Kim blushed, "Sorry, Cou… Doctor McCoy," she amended giving him his due respect.

Hank chuckles, "As my second cousin has informed you, my name is doctor Henry McCoy, and I have been invited by the superintendent of this school district to lead this, and all other chemistry classes for the semester. As, you can tell by my appearance, I am a mutant, I was born with a gene, called an X-gene that alters my genetic makeup thusly," he said gesturing to himself.

There was a hand raised in the back, Hank pointed and asked her to stand and state her name, "Tara Powers, and was it true that you were an Avenger, doctor McCoy?"

"I still am, once an Avenger, always an Avenger," Beast answered. "Now, if there are no other questions…," there were none, Beast was astounded, whenever he was out in public he had to fight himself to keep from bowing under the pressure of scrutiny based on his appearance, now these high school students barely bat an eye at his blue fur. "Now, that introductions are out of the way, time for a little housekeeping. I will call the roll and you will move to sit in the row closest to the door going back and forth in alphabetical order: Amy Abbot…" By the time he was finished Kim and Ron were seated right next to each other with Ron sitting outboard and Tara, Kim's fellow cheerleader sitting just behind Kim.

As, the bell rang, Tara reached over and took Ron's hand, "I was sorry to hear about Rufus, Ron," she said squeezing his hand, before giving him a sympathetic look, before heading off to her next class.

* * *

Ron Stoppable was heading to his next class, Introduction to Japanese and he was running late, because he had remained behind to speak with Kim's second cousin on her dad's side. Middleton was an unusual city, with green skinned women walking around without batting an eye, a man with blue fur and looking like Magilla Gorilla was only a little different. Hank McCoy was James Possible's maternal cousin, through his mother born Nancy McCoy, Kim's grandmother Nana.

 _"What're you doing here Hank," Kim asked as they stood in the classroom while other kids filed out? "You don't just drop everything, leave Westchester because a superintendent asks you too," Kim adds not buying the story he fabricated, she stands next to Ron while speaking with her nana's nephew._

 _"Irrefutably," Hank answered, "you are correct." He looked around and dropped his vocal frequency below that of human speech, a frequency that he knew his second cousin could hear and speak. "Cerebro picked up some anomalous readings about two weeks ago," he told her, Ron was following along perfectly, though he did not realize he was doing it, he thought Kim and Hank were speaking normally, "according to the Professor, it resembled an amalgam of two known mutants and an unknown entity. The known mutants' whereabouts have been confirmed in other parts of the world, so we know it was not them."_

 _Ron had a sneaking suspicion, and apparently so did Kim, so keeping an eye on Ron, asked, "Which two mutants was it detecting," she asked?_

 _"Two mutants that have worked with our deadliest enemy, off and on for decades, Sabretooth and Mystique," Beast answered._

 _"In other words, my grandma and grandpa," Ron interjected, his voice dropping into vocal range. Kim smirked at her cousin when she saw his face agog, Kim was raised with two scientists and they raised her to think logically. If Ron could hear in certain frequencies, then he should theoretically be able to speak in those frequencies. Since, according to her mother, children begin speaking and learning to speak correctly by listening and repeating their parents._

 _Hank McCoy's mouth was hanging wide open, he knew Kim would have told Ron the fodder for their low frequency conversation once they could find a secluded location. Kim kept no secrets from her best friend. Hank surmised that it was best to tell Kimberly what he could, to gain her and Ron's help in searching out the abnormal Cerebro contact. Beast looked between Ron and Kim as they exchanged a look that spoke volumes, "What else can you tell **us** , Hank," Kim asked turning back to her Nana's nephew, "any information you have will tell us what we're dealing with?"_

 _"Well, not much more is known because of the third entity involved," Hank told them, "readings were sporadic at best, we can't seem to pinpoint its location, it seems to act very much like an elementary particle. It moves in wave form until we try to locate it, then it disappears like it was never there. We_ were _able to track it here to Middleton." Kim looks over to Ron with a questioning eyebrow,_ it's Ron's secret, it's a best friend thing.

 _"I trust you, Kim," Ron said, in the low frequency they've been talking in, "and you trust Hank, so I trust Hank."_

 _Kim turns to her second cousin, "We believe, we know who you were tracking, Hank," she said pointing her finger at her Ron._

 _Kim tells Hank all about the end of the summer, from Monkey Fist, Wade's duplicity, to the mystical monkey power, and Ron's mutation. Hank who has known Ron since he was a little boy, has never doubted Ron's character. When Kim began going on missions Beast was dubious about them, until he was told Ron would be there to back up his cousin. Ron may not have had any skills like Kimberly, but Hank believed Ron's own brand of chaos could insure they emerged victorious, or at least alive. While rare it was not unheard of for mutants to be awakened using magical means, Charles Xavier's step-brother Cain Marko inadvertently used the power of the Ruby of Cyttorak to become the Juggernaut._

* * *

Ron was cutting his time a little fine, so he decided to take the shortcut through D-hall, a place he would normally try to avoid. He walked steadily from one side of the school toward another. D-hall was a little different than the other halls in the school. There were two turns in the D-hall configuration, both in 90-degree tangents, branching off from one another. A pedestrian would enter it one way, follow the first turn, and then turn down the next corridor, returning to their original course to leave the hall. It is the one place where teachers rarely roam, which means that the children of the school with more violent tendencies seem to congregate there, out of sight of the general population.

Given the circumstances, the environment, not to mention Ron's past dealings with those who inhabited this stretch of hallway, it was no surprise when three teenage boys appeared and surrounded him. Ron would later confide in Kim that in the back of his mind, he may have been looking for them, as a chance for a little payback, for past transgressions. These three teenagers have lain in wait for the weak and powerless, since Ron first started school here at Middleton High school. Last year, before he began improving himself, Ron was a regular target of their predations, whenever he happened to pass through D-hall. After, he began his campaign of self-improvement he never had a chance to walk between these walls, because he learned to manage his time effectively enough that he no longer needed to tread through D-hall. Today, after leaving his first period chemistry class, with Hank, and Kim heading to Honors Geometry in the opposite direction, Ron had no choice but to take this route. Even with a note from Beast excusing his tardiness, he felt the need to hustle.

The teenagers surrounding him, were as different from each other as a rock or pebble was from a boulder. They were very much alike, two had blonde hair in buzz-cuts, the last one had dark hair in an over gelled widow's peak, but the range in stature could not have been much different. The largest of them, Michael "Tiny" Waters, seemed to be the definition of human mountain, he was all of six feet, five inches and seemed to weigh a good two-fifty, it was hard to tell how much was fat, and how much was muscle. Shorter at six feet, though still taller than Ron's five foot, nine inches, and more obviously muscled, than his bigger towheaded companion, stood the ring leader of the trio, Slade Booth. He seemed to be the more intelligent of the three, and he was always the more level-headed of the three, he was the one with Elvis hair. The last member of the group was shorter, and skinnier than even Ron, and the mouth piece of the group Martin Longman, always the instigator and the talker. He was a coward, and a weasel, always hiding behind the muscles of his friends, to bail his ass out of the trouble his mouth got him into, it would not be the case after today.

"Well well, if it ain't little Ronnie," Martin began in a condescending voice, "it's been such a long time since you've walked down _our_ hall." The three bullies, had arranged themselves so Tiny was in front, acting like a roadblock, Martin was behind Ron _preventing_ his escape, and Slade was on Ron's left side, to lend a hand if it was needed. Today it would be, but it would not be enough. Ron stood looking at the boy in front of him, studying the giant like he would study a tree that needed to be removed.

 _"Always start with the least violent option,"_ Rabbi Katz's voice came to him. Ron smiled his goofy, most affable grin, "Mike, would you please move out of my way, I'm running late to class?" Ron pressed a button on his new communication watch, it was now recording everything that happened here. The three boys laughed out loud, two of them with confidence, the last with a small twinge of unease. Tiny has rarely had to fear much of anything, he has always been the biggest kid in his class, yet Ron did not seem to be as intimidated as he was in the past.

"Did you hear that Slade, wittle Wonnie wants to go to class," Martin said, then suddenly made to shove Ron's shoulder from behind, ' _even the smallest pebbles can turn the flood,_ ' said a voice in his head. Instead of resisting, Ron twisted his body to the side, causing Martin to shoot passed him and Ron, left his foot out causing Martin to trip head long into the goliathan teen. Michael stumbled back a step as his tiny friend rammed into him.

"Sorry Marty," Ron said, "but you shouldn't have put your hand on my shoulder like that, it caused me to stumble." Martin was a little disoriented, Mike really was built more like a brick wall. Ron turned to the other boy in the hall, the leader, "Slade, since you seem to hold the leashes to these two, will you please, ask them to step aside and let me pass," Ron said, tired of the game, "there is nothing to be gained for you three, by holding me here against my will," Ron entreated the mastermind of the gang. "The only thing to be had by further violence is pain, and nobody likes that, am I right?"

Slade put his fingers to his chin like he was giving the matter some serious thought, "You're right Stoppable, there is nothing to be gained from this event," Slade replied seeming to agree with Kim Possible's best friend, who smiled in relief, "except the money in your wallet, and that watch on your wrist."

"Are you sure Slade," Ron tried one more time to do this peacefully, and find an alternative, "it's not too late for you three to back down, and let me pass?"

Slade smiled, "Oh, I'm sure, and I'm going to make an example of you, so that next time we tell somebody to hand over their money, they won't even think of talking back. Tiny." The goliath lumbered forward, and Ron look down, sighing.

"If that's your final answer, Slade…" Ron said, then faster than a serpent's strike, Stoppable lunged forward with a front kick right at Michael Waters' knee. There was a sickening crunch as the giant's knee was caved in, dropping him to the ground. _'Even the largest trees can fall if you chop them down at the base,'_ the voice in his head seemed to say. Ron then grabbed the back of Tiny's head and brought it down as Ron brought his knee up to meet Mike's face. The blood flowed down the boy's now broken nose, it flowed into his mouth and down into his stomach, the rancid taste of his own blood for the first time in his life, made Michael's stomach convulse, causing him to vomit, and pass out.

Ron suddenly felt a tingle at the base of his skull, he suddenly launched himself upward over the back of a charging Martin. Ron landed back where he was, which was right behind Martin, _'in the thick of combat, there is no room for hesitation, or mercy, Rabbi Katz once told him, because only the victors have the luxury of showing mercy,'_ Ron has grown stronger for the last six months, but it was still quite a surprise to him as Ron scooped Martin into his arms with little effort and brought the small, but still heavy boy's spine crashing down over Ron's knee, then body slammed him down on the concrete, tiled floor.

Ron's enhanced senses felt the pressure of a fast-approaching fist, causing him to use some of his newly acquired agility and reflexes to somersault forward over the prone form of Martin Longman. He tumbled forward into an unusual stance, right leg raised to knee height, most of the body's weight on the left leg, whose knee was also slightly bent. Arms akimbo with the right raised to be even with the head, palm twisted facing outward, fingers in a claw formation, and the left was lowered, pointing at a downward angle, with the left hand even with the waist, palm facing the ground also in a claw formation. His limbs were ridged, his joints were loose, and his waist was twisted so the vital areas were pointed away from Slade, while the head and lower body were pointed directly at him. Ron's breathing had calmed as he watched his enemy assume a solid boxing stance.

"It's still not too late to stop this, Slade," Ron spoke, trying one more time to end this fight before things got more out of hand, "we should stop fighting and see to your friends, Michael Waters should be okay, but Martin Longman needs to get to the hospital and be immobilized, otherwise he could go into shock and die."

"Friends," Slade spat, "I have no friends, I have temporary allies, that I can use until they're of no more use to me anymore," the boy never took his eyes off his opponent, "and now that they have been taken down, they are of no use to me anymore."

Ron sighed, "then I must end this as quickly as I can," Ron said, "so, I can make sure, Martin gets medical attention." Slade suddenly launched a blistering barrage of combinations, face, face, body, face, body. To Ron, the bully mastermind, might as well have been moving in slow motion, the first shot he swatted to the side with his lower left hand, putting Slade slightly off balance, the second face shot was also parried down and to the left, and Ron allowed his deflection to push himself to the right, out of the way of the body blow, and right in front of a cinderblock wall. Slade was seeing red and not much of anything else, as he turned to follow Stoppable's movements, and he charged delivering the last two shots a heartbeat apart, Ron twisted his head and torso out of the way just as Slade's fist contacted the brick wall. Slade registered the pain a millisecond before, Ron spun around and used one hand to grab Slade by the back of his head and slam the bully face first into the same cinder block wall with which, his fists just recently became acquainted. Slade slumped down against the wall leaving a smear of blood in his wake.

Ron stepped back breathing heavily, as he began to sweat profusely, he was just about to take out his phone to call an ambulance for his assailants when he heard a clapping down at the end of the hallway. Ron whipped around to stare at an unusually short, but extremely, muscular, wild looking man. The man was a good four inches shorter than Ron, but when they looked in each other's eyes they could both tell who the dominant one would be. The man wore a black business suit, black dress shirt in a western cut, and a bolo tie with Native American turquoise cinch. His feet sported a pair of black, worn, cowboy boots. His face looked worn and leathery, with wild black hair flaring up and to the sides, he had bushy, sideburns extending all the way down to his chin and cheeks. Ron took all of this in with a flicker of an eyelash, but it was this man's eyes that held him spellbound.

They were the eyes of a predator that could, and would strike, suddenly and without warning, the prey would die quickly, but without mercy. They were the eyes of a man with nothing left to lose but his humanity, and he would hold onto that last scrap of light with his dying breath. Those orbs had seen the very worse side of the species known as man, and yet still found something in them that was worth protecting. Ron did not look away as the man approached him and continued to clap. "Not bad, kid," a gravelly voice issued from the man's maw. "You handled all three of them, very well, I didn't see too much wasted movement."

"Who are you," Ron started before calming down, "sir?"

"My name is Logan," the man replied, "I'm here at your school to teach, you and your classmates, Japanese." The man leaned in and sniffed Ron, who did the same, _I have these enhanced senses, I might as well use them._ "I can tell you've already met my teammate Beast, you must be Ron Stoppable."

Ron nodded, "Logan, my mom told me, once of a dude named Logan."

Logan smiled, "Vicky's been there for me when she could, let me go ahead and tell you my other name, since we might be working together for a while, call me Wolverine."

* * *

In the Go City zoo, in the house of rodents, a new tenant has been successfully introduced to the colony. He skitters in and abases himself before the queen, "Hi," he squeaks, "I'm Rufus."


	5. 004: Fight Night

The Jackal's strength seemed to double as it grew another foot. Ron's companion Hank jumped, and landed full on the so-called god's shoulders, but for all his brutish façade, Hank was not much stronger than a normal human. The only thing Beast could do was add his weight to the brute's own and try to slow the Jackal down. Ron stood up and charged forward, leaping around the ring trying to distract the monster that used to be fight promoter Jackie Oakes. On the last leap when Ron thinks he has taken the creature by surprise he leaps directly at it. When with supernatural reflexes The Jackal's arm streaks out and catches Ron by the throat in a vice like grip.

To Anubis swatting this useless mortal was not a sufficient use of his might, to Jackie beatin' dis kid down wasn't gonna prove that shoyt was powuhfo, too. So, together Jackie and Anubis flung the teenager away so hard that he went through the roof. This and a few other things happened in the same instant, Kim and Logan burst into the stadium, The Jackal grabbed Hank and threw him out of the ring, and the power within Ronald Victor Stoppable awakened… and another more ancient god stirred. "OO, OO, OO, AHH, AHH, AHH," a monkey shrieked!

* * *

Last Friday, …

Middleton Mall

Ron and Kim found themselves running along a dark alley. Behind them a mob of tough looking hombres seemed to be pursuing them, the only word they seemed to be saying was, "Pain, Pain, Pain," it was as if they had been brainwashed and the only word their minds could conjure up was, "Pain, Pain, Pain!"

 _After getting called to a mission, Team Possible had gone to Chicago_ (A/N: I've always thought Go City might be Chicago in Kim's universe) _to visit Rufus who according to Go City zookeepers has become a breeding male, after ousting one of the others in the colony donated to the zoo, compliments of Wakanda. The little guy had been going through a form of mental illness that naked mole-rats go through when bereft of a colony for too long. According to the specialist on the indigenous wildlife in east Africa, the only cure for the issue was to introduce Rufus to a colony and allow him to take his place among his kind. Kim and Ron were able to visit with their former teammate, who was about to become a father, when the current situation came to their attention, back home._

Ron chanced a look back, and in an alarmed scared voice, said, "They're getting closer KP!" He kept running, even with his new abilities and powers, there was not very much he could do about this mob.

They came to a turn and Kim grabbed her best friend's hand and pulled him after her, "This way," she said in a determined voice! Down the alley they dodged around trash cans and debris, ducking behind a car. "Ron, think we lost them?"

"I'll check," Ron said, and looked up around the vehicle. There was a sudden blast of vicious barking, emanating from the car they were crouched behind. Ron turned his gaze to glare at the mutt that just blew their cover, it cringed backing up with its tail between its legs, whimpering. In its mind it knew that Ron was a bigger, more dangerous predator. Ron caught a glimpse of his reflection in the car window, what he saw was different than what he saw a month ago. His face and hands were blue, his hair was now quite distinctive, it was still predominantly blonde, but now several crimson-streaks that looked like tiger's stripes, threaded their way through the wheat blonde locks. Yet his most distinctive features were his eyes, they were a golden-amber color, and when they glowed, as they were doing now, they gave him night vision, that exceeded most feline's including Kim's. The only drawback is when his night vision activated, he lost all color perception, everything took on the same golden-amber color as his eyes. Kim could still perceive all colors humans could normally, when _her_ night-vision activated. Ron growled in frustration, and they were on the run again.

Suddenly, a car pulls up right in front of them, the doors open and, "Steel, Steel, Steel," issues forth from within, followed by several other figures stepping out of the vehicle. These people also seemed to be under the same form of brainwashing as the first group, only "Steel, Steel, Steel," seemed to be the word they liked saying, almost like two warring factions of zombies, chanting the names of their gods.

The two heroes skidded to a stop before this new group of fanatics converged upon them. Kim grabbed Ron's hand, "Come on," and drags him to a door that they find locked. Ron tugs on it a little, he cannot use his powers with so many strangers about, the world at large, does not know that Team Possible are mutants, only SHIELD, Global Justice, and a few other trusted associates, and friends, including Ron's Rabbi. "We'll never make it," Ron exclaims.

"There's got to be another way in," Kim retorts, just as both groups corner them.

"Steel, Pain, Steel, Pain," can be heard coming from both sides of Kim and Ron, their chants mix and mingle. Luckily for Team Possible the two groups notice each other before noticing them.

Kim whips out her hairdryer-grappling hook courtesy of Wade, and fire's the hook up to the roof before grabbing Ron around the waist. "Going up," she yells in excitement from the adrenaline rush.

They both hop over the ledge as easily as most people play leap frog, "Come on KP," Ron told her, "Let's get inside." They begin walking toward a skylight, and there found an opening in the top to allow smoke to vent in the event of a fire, it was just large enough for one of them at a time.

Ron was just about to climb over the edge, when Kim pulled him up short. "Uh, Ron?"

"Yeah Kim," Ron asked?

"Ron, as attractive as you are when you're in your natural form," Kim said, "I think you should try blending in now." Ron looked down at himself in the reflection of the skylight. In addition to his midnight blue skin, which blended perfectly with the night sky, (A/N: think Nightcrawler, but without fur or tail, and with all ten fingers and toes) his golden-amber eyes, and tiger-striped due, his face also sported pointed-wolf-like ears, pronounced canine teeth, and he was a head taller than Kim. When these features first manifested about two weeks after Ron put the Bullies of D-hall in the hospital, Ron was so worried that Kim would be embarrassed to be seen with him, that he was absent from school for two days. Ron should have known better, when Kim came to visit him after two days of his absence, not only was she okay with his appearance, but even admitted that she thought he was hot.

Ron glanced at Kim with a sheepish grin, "Sorry Kim." Ron closed his eyes and concentrated, his skin began to ripple, as if individual cells were changing shape, function, and color. Which was exactly what they were doing. While most of Ron's mutation mimicked that of his grandfather, Victor Creed, this ability came from his grandmother, Mystique. While, Ron could not shapeshift like Raven Darkholme, his unique mutation combined with his healing factor to help him adapt his physiology to his environment. Whether he needed to blend into a normal human environment like this facility, or swim through the ocean depths, as they had to on a recent mission, he sprouted gills, scales, and webbed hands and feet. The only thing he could not hide, or change was the color of his eyes, he could adapt the eyelids, eyelashes, and even the shape and size of the pupil, the color and function, however were inviolate. When he discovered this little gift from his grandmother, they spent an entire weekend at Westchester to teach him how to control it. There are drawbacks, when he sprouted gills he had to spend a full minute, expelling the water before he could allow himself to change back, or he would have drowned. Ron now wore a set of mirrored sunglasses tinted to match his eye color, and when he could not wear the glasses, they explained it away as an injury from recent missions, which was true since the cause of Ron's X-gene activation was the result of a mission gone wrong.

Kim smiled and walked over to him. "That's okay Ron," she said laying her arm around his shoulders, "just remember, it ain't your looks that I care about," her voice said in a lower octave, "it's the Man behind the looks, that make you special to me." Kim kissed him on the cheek and caressed his face. Then she quickly stepped away from him, unable to look at him and dropped through the skylight.

They stepped apart and looking around, noticing that they had drawn a crowd with their entrance. "Next time we come to the mall, let's stick to the main entrance," Kim said with a smile, "okay?" Kim dusted herself off, and said slightly irritated, "You know, I usually like to go home and change after a mission."

"No time for that KP," Ron replied with urgency in his voice, hand raised.

"Okay, why," Kim asked?

"The first hundred fans not to be trampled," Ron began, "get a free GWA tour t-shirt."

"GWA," Kim asked?

"How can you not know of the Global Wrestling Association," Ron asked flabbergasted at his best friend, "it's only the most excellent sporting association in the world?" Then he yelled out, "Steel Toe rules!"

Immediately after saying that, they hear the chanting, "Pain, Pain, Pain, Pain, Pain!"

"All this, because some wrestlers are making a mall appearance," Kim questions her best friend?

"Not just some, Pain King, and Steel Toe," he frowned, then began explaining them to her, "Pain King has a bionic eye, don't even think of looking into it, or you'll writhe on the floor in total agony."

Kim crosses her arms under her chest, and smiles at her best friend's boyish enthusiasm, _Ron has been acting_ so _grown up lately, especially since this summer, I sometimes forget that he's still a teenage boy_ , Kim smiles at him. She would always cherish his boyish enthusiasm. She decides to humor him, "and I suppose Steel Toe actually has steel toes?"

Ron shakes his head, and waves her comment away, "Nah, it's just a publicity gimmick," he admits, before continuing, "they're more like adamantium, from a freak industrial accident."

"Right," Kim retorts skeptically.

Over a loudspeaker they hear, "Listen up Middleton," came an excited laugh, "arh you readee for action," came a thick New York-Jersey accent? The crowd began losing their mind, "arh you ready for head-bumpin', chest-thumpin', back-breakin', ground-shakin' confrontation," by the time the announcer finished he was literally bellowing at the top of his lungs!?

"Is that the Pain guy," Kim asked?

"No, that's Jackie Oakes," Ron informed her, "founder of the GWA." The crowd continued to scream their adoration, as Jackie Oakes worked the crowd into a frenzy.

"Heeere's Pain King," Jackie introduced pointing to stage left, Pain King came marching up to stand next to Mr. Oakes, "and Steel Tooooe," from the right came a steady clang, and on the stage, came Steel Toe. Pain King smiled and waved big, while Steel Toe began doing bodybuilder poses, and grunting.

"Jump 'im," Ron yelled.

Finally, Kim had enough, "Okay, I'm at the mall and not shopping," she loved Ron more than anybody, but she had her limit of fake-fighting, "what's wrong with this picture?" Kim tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention, he turned to her with a big smile on his face. Kim had a worried expression, "Ron," she said in her most convincing voice.

Ron saw her expression, he could tell she was not having a good time, "You're not enjoying this, are you KP?"

"No," Kim said using her most devastating weapon against him, when she wanted to do something he did not, **The Puppy Dog Pout** , "I'm sorry Ron, but this just isn't my thing."

Ron turned to her, after taking his shades off, he placed hands on her shoulders and held her at arms length. Gazing into her eyes, "Kim, it's okay, we don't have to be joined at the hip, all the time. It's okay for us to like, and even do different things," he pulled her into a warm hug. "My mom can't talk about her work too often with my dad," Ron continued, "and mom finds my dad's work boring, so they find other things to talk about. The Doctors P squared, I'm sure have their own interests, that they don't do with each other," Kim can think of a few things her parents do separately, "it probably gives them something to talk about when they do spend time together."

Ron leaned his forehead against hers as he kept his eyes on hers, that seemed to shine the more he spoke, "That being said, even though it's not your cup of tea," he smirked, "I do expect you to suffer through some of my activities, every once in a while, just like I do for you," she looked confused and was about to ask, when he answered her question for her. "You don't really think, I like to go shopping that much do you," her expression became one of understanding?

* * *

Bananas and Girlfriends

 **Club Banana**

Kim walked into her favorite clothing store and breathed a sigh of relief. "Hello civilization," she said, laying her head on a pile of pants!

A girl of African American descent noticed Kim's behavior, and burst in on Kim's moment. "Oh my gosh, how much do you love, Cleo's Cargos," the girl yelled?

Kim smiled, "Way much!"

They started moving through the garments, "You'd look good in… Giza Green," they said together.

Kim was quicker on the draw, however with, "Jinx, you owe me a soda!"

* * *

 **The Mall Promenade**

Back out on the promenade, the Pro-wrestlers continued their trash talking, "It makes me sick to look at you, lead foot," roared Pain King!

Steel Toe fired back zingers like, "You'll feel even worse when I stomp you with cold. Hard. Steel!"

That insult was too much to bare because, Pain King shouted back with, "Let's go, right here, right now," and they began pushing and pulling on each other. Which got the already amped crowd fired right up!

Jackie Oakes, while well built, was a little on the short side, but he got between them and shoved them apart, "Uh uh, boys save it for Mayhem in Middleton. Good seats still available folks," he plugged wiggling his eyebrows.

Pain King obviously got really into it because, he would not stop trash talking, or trying to go after Steel Toe. The two athletes began shoving each other around the stage, which was not part of the show, because Mr. Oakes got between them, but his size worked against him, especially with two behemoths to try and corral. The aggressive energy got into the crowd and set them off. Pain King fans started fighting Steel Toe fans, and even Ron got into the spirit of things, though he was careful to act as defensively as possible. Stoppable allowed one huge fan to grab him by the legs, and begin swinging him around in circles, he was having a grand old time, when the big guy let Ron fly, Ron gained control of his momentum and landed in a crouch on the stage. Nobody saw him as they were preoccupied with the brawl. It was fun, but as a law enforcement professional with Global Justice, he had to enforce the laws everywhere he was present. Ron rolled up his sleeves, _time to go to work_.

* * *

Back inside Club Banana, after Kim had bought a pair of Cleo's Cargos, she stayed and made small talk with her new friend. It turns out the girl Kim met was working there, and was ringing Kim up, "Do you belong to our Club Banana Club?"

Pulling out a Club Banana Club Membership Card, Kim stated, "Charter Member."

The girl took the card and her eyes bugged out at the name, "Kim Possible, I thought it was you, the stuff you do is so amazing," the girl gushed!

"Aww, what we do is no big," Kim said modestly, "but thanks."

"I'm Monique," the newly introduced Monique declared, extending her hand, "just moved here!"

"Cool," Kim said genuinely, "where do you go to school?"

"Middleton High," Monique answered!

"Me too," Kim said excitedly!

"I start Monday," Monique added!

"You totally have to let me show you around," Kim said!

"Deal," Monique responded! "By the way, what did you mean, when you said, 'what we do is not big'!?"

"Oh," Kim said, "I was referring to my best friend, Ron Stoppable. We've been partners in everything, since we were four years old!"

"That's so cool you fight crime with your best friend," Monique stated, "that must mean you're really close."

"The closest, he knows all my secrets, and we got even closer over summer," Kim smile dreamily, "he is closer to me than my own brothers!"

Monique had her own dreamy eyes, "Wow, he was your best friend, going on dangerous missions with you," she repeated, "it's like a cheesy cartoon on the mouse channel."

"Yeah," Kim replied, then laughed at the dark girl's last statement, "sometimes it feels that way, but I wouldn't, couldn't go freak-fighting without him." It was just then that Kim heard the noise coming from the promenade of the mall, there was none, "You'll have to excuse me Monique, see you Monday," Kim told her new friend as she ran to check on Ron. Each person around the main stage was knocked out or tied up, and here was where Ron's nefarious streak came into play, every person was tied up with someone from their rival clique. Ron was standing up on the stage, rubbing his gloved hands waiting for the local police to arrive and take the fans into custody, as if satisfied with a job well done. Kim reached her best friend, and smirked, "Having fun Ron," he turned to his sister from another mister, and shrugged sheepishly?

"They were just guys having a good time, the aggression in the atmosphere got to them a little," Ron explained. Kim nodded, "I even got into it a little, but as a law enforcement professional, I had to put it down before it got out of control."

"Man, that was some performance," they heard a Jersey accent say, " yeh ever think of joining professional wrestling?"

Ron looked at Kim silently asking permission, but her fierce frown, and hands on hips told him the answer. Ron returned Jackie Oakes' smile, and extended his hand, "unfortunately, my training can only be used in self-defense, defense of my partner," Ron placed an arm around Kim's shoulders, "to enforce the laws of the nations of the world, or in defense of our planet, and all indigenous or introduced organisms therein."

Jackie chuckled, and took Ron's hand turning it palm up, "I'll tell you whut, herehs two tickets to Mayhem in Middleten," he said clapping Ron on the back, before walking away.

Ron looked at them and gasped, "these are backstage passes," Ron turned and proffered one ticket to his best friend, "we get to go backstage with backstage passes, where the backstage is," Ron said with increasing excitement! "Of course, first dibs go to my best friend Kim Possible," he declared standing up with mock pomposity, "care to join me for some mild mayhem in Middleton KP?"

"And hang out with some guy named, Steel Cage," Kim asked sarcastically?

"Uh, Kim it's Steel Toe," Ron said mildly annoyed, "the steel cage is a type of wrestling match where they lower a metal cage around the ring, to prevent anybody from escaping."

"Ron, we talked about this remember," Kim giving him her PDP, and fluttering her eyelashes at him, "we don't have to do or like everything the other likes, right?"

Ron looked down deflated, "you're right Kim," Ron admitted, "I'm sorry."

Kim lifts his chin up, pulls his glasses off, and hugged him tightly, when she pulled back, "You have nothing to be sorry for Ron Stoppable. I know you like spending time with me, as much as I do you," Kim told him caressing his cheek, and never breaking her gaze, "but wrestling just isn't my cup o' tea. If it was baseball, you know I'm down with it, I like seeing the players in those tight baseball pants. Besides, I'll look forward to hearing all the details, when you get back," she continued with a smile, "I expect you to bore me to tears telling me all about it."

Ron smiled then grinned deviously, pulling his shades back up, "I wonder, who'll go with me to the event, someone has to use the extra ticket," then he cupped his chin, "hmm, I doubt Bonnie will go with me, maybe Tara would like to go. She did kiss me after the whole Gill thing," Ron mused, "maybe she likes me enough to go with me to wrestling."

For some reason the thought of him asking another girl to the wrestling matches seemed to tweak Kim Possible something fierce, _you're not giving my ticket away to another girl_ , she thought. "Uh, I don't think Tara, would like going to watch wrestling any more than I would," Kim informed him quickly. "Plus, that's not the place you want to take a date for the first time, save that kind of date for once you've established yourself in a relationship, understand?"

Ron nodded, "You're right, Kim," he conceded, "but who's going to take the second ticket, if you won't?" Then shrugging, "I'll think of something, want to go back to your place and watch wrestling, so we can get psyched to watch wrestling?"

Kim shook her head and stepped back, "Not tonight, I'm going to the Cleopatra's Closet Exhibit at the Middleton Art Museum, it's a special preview for Club Banana frequent buyers. Wanna come with?"

"Well, I wish I could go, but I've got to put the finishing touches on the Japanese language homework, for Mr. Logan, I was going to finish it while watching tonight," Ron told her, "the mission tonight in Chicago came just before I was about to finish."

"Okay," Kim said, in a sad voice, "I'll see you at home tomorrow, I've got a new friend I want to introduce you to, her name is Monique," Kim kissed him on the cheek, and waved goodbye as they parted ways. They had been walking and their homes were not too far, from the mall, or each other.

* * *

 **Middleton Art Museum**

Kim walked into the Art Museum of Middleton, she was a little bummed Ron was not with her, but then saw her new friend. Kim Possible swung by her place to change out of her mission clothes, and into a pink blouse, her new green pants, following a shower, some makeup application. As special as Ron is to Kim and that regard, seemed to be growing into something else. Which she did not want to think about now, it felt good to finally have a female friend to talk to, they spotted each other and smiled, and as they got closer, Monique called out, "Hey Kim!"

"Monique," Kim replied happily, "I should've known you'd be here."

"Exclusive free view of the queen's accessories," Monique told the teen hero, "girl, it is all good. I love your pants."

"And you," Kim returned the compliment as Monique preened, "very Cleo," she said in a sing-song voice. "Say, Monique, we seem to have the same tastes on fashion," Kim spoke, "how about we meet at the mall tomorrow, and get up to date on the latest fashions?"

Monique gushed, "meeting tomorrow, for some retail therapy, sounds like an awesome idea!"

They were making their way over to the gathering where an official from the museum began the tour. "Good evening, if you'll follow me," the official began walking backwards, "it is my pleasure to welcome you to this special Club Banana free preview of Cleopatra's Closet." The group entered the exhibit area to a surprise, there on the ground, was a tied up, security officer. "Oh, my goodness!"

While everybody was distracted by the immobilized guard, Kim's well-trained instincts forced her to look around the room for any threat. She also began issuing orders and pulling out her GJ badge, "Call security and stay together," flashing her badge to the museum official. "Wade," she said while keying her comm-watch Kimmunicator, "trouble at the Middleton Museum, can you tap the security cam," Kim asked.

Wade's voice came forth, "Tapping," he confirmed and went to work. Before he could finish Kim noticed a door across the way from her.

"I see something Wade," Kim told him, "call Ron, and have him here as soon as possible," she said as she rushed through the door in hot pursuit. She chased the culprit, his scent seemed to remind her of someone, but she could not place it. Kim followed the suspect up to the roof, dashing through the door, she closed it to take away her blind spot. Her night vision was active but could not pick up anything. There were too many crosswinds on the roof, for her to rely on scent, and those same crosswinds were gusting, making it difficult to hear anything.

Suddenly, she spotted a brilliant golden light from behind an air conditioning unit. She cautiously approached the area, Global Justice and SHIELD **both** drummed into their recruits to never, ever rush into unknown areas. It was better to let the enemy come out on their own, than to follow them onto ground, they have chosen to fight or flee from. As she reached the strange glow, a figure burst out, running right for the ledge, "You are so busted," Kim yelled, "stop in the name of Global Justice!" That of course, did not make him stop, but it was procedure to identify yourself as law enforcement. The chaser and the chased barreled head long for the edge of the roof, but instead of stopping the figure leaped across the street. If she were in her anthropomorphic form, she could have easily made the jump, but Kim was not stupid. It was stupid, to pursue an unknown hostile into unknown territory. If Ron were with her, she would have done it in a heartbeat, but even if he ran over the roofs like she did, it would take him too long to get here, and the perp would still be long gone by then. Kim stood staring after the glowing figure, _This isn't over glowy!_ That familiar scent was clear now, it was the scent of the suspect, but she still could not place it.

* * *

The next night, Ron and the tweebs were sitting in the Possible family, living room, watching what else, GWA? "Wahoo, Toes of Steel," Ron yells cheering his heroes!

"Ooh, Pain King's down," Jim Jr., said!

Tim Jr., added, "Duh, Pain King never beats Steel Toe!"

Kim walks in, she had just spent hours walking around the mall with Monique, "I had such a good time today," Ron immediately stood up and walked over to Kim. "It's so refreshing to have another woman's advice when it comes to fashion."

They walked up to Kim's room, just as they got there, Wade beeped in, "What's the sitch Wade," Kim asked?

"The only thing stolen from the museum, was a small talisman," Wade informed them. "It was a gift to Cleopatra from the High Priest of Anubis, the Jackal headed Egyptian of mummification, and the afterlife."

 _Little brother,_ rang in the silences of Ron's mind, _he was always so serious!_ Ron rubbed his head, this was the first time the voice in Ron's mind seemed to offer some direct personal information. "Mummy, gorchy," Kim determined, "I bet she would've rather had nice earrings."

"Don't be too sure, this talisman was supposedly enchanted," Wade told her.

"Oh, come on, who would believe…" she looked at Ron and remembering MMP, urgently asked, "tell me more about this talisman Wade. What's it supposed to do?"

"Superhuman strength," he replied.

Kim's shoulders slumped, "Well, at least it's not immortality, I guess. Thanks Wade." Kim clicked off and turned to her brother from another mother.

"So, how was the mall with Monique," Ron asked?

"So much fun," Kim told him, "no offense Ron, and I say this with all my love in my heart, but it's so nice to get fashion advice from another girl."

Ron took on a mock offended expression, "Hey, this will be the height of fashion someday," Ron said in a pompous voice, while smoothing down his normal jersey and cargo pants. They were no longer baggy on him, after he started growing and working out, they now fit him just right, and Kim secretly loved that. When they hugged and snuggled together as friends, she loved how he felt pressing against her and she's caught herself idly, checking him out. His mission clothes were even tighter, it was a good thing she goes before him, when they crawl through air vents in villain lairs, or she would have a difficult time staying in mission mode. He chuckled, "you're probably right, real men should only worry about fashion on special occasions."

"You could be right," Kim said, "now, would you like to see what I bought with Monique today?"

* * *

 **Old friends & New**

The next morning, Ron rings the doorbell to the Possible residence. Anne Possible answers the door, "Hello Ron."

"Good Morning, Missus, doctor Possible, is Kim ready," Ron asks?

"You missed her Ron," Anne Possible told him, "I think she said something about meeting up with Monique."

"Monique," Ron said? Ron was never the type to dictate to his best friend, who she could hang out with, or what she could wear. Kim was a strong, independent woman, capable of making her own choices, and that was one of the things he admired most about her. But, she could have told him yesterday about plans to walk to school with Monique.

"Didn't she tell you," Mrs. Possible asked?

"Oh right, this is the day Kim said, she was going to go to school with her new friend," Ron said holding his hands in front of him, "I do it so much that I guess, I was on autopilot when I walked over here this morning."

Anne was not fooled though she humored him, and looked at her watch, "Oo, I'm gonna be late for my cranial bypass," she said grabbing her stuff from the table by the door.

Ron got to school on time and was even a little early for Dr. McCoy's Chemistry class. The addition of Monique to the class had pushed everybody back one seat. Kim glanced over at Ron just as he sat next to his best friend as usual, she smiled at him, then went back to gossiping with her new friend. Chemistry was the only class he had with Kim that year, so it was really the only time they had to see each other, until lunch.

Kim was regaling Monique with tales of one of their missions about a desert prince they saved. Monique was gushing over the story, but she was also looking around. "That's sounds _so_ embarrassing, you've lead such an amazing life. But, what about your love life, I haven't seen this Ron guy, who seems to be so much a part of your life. Where is he?"

Kim blushed, "You saw him this morning in Doctor McCoy's Chem. class, he was the boy in the shades, and wheat-colored hair with crimson streaks…" Kim suddenly stopped, her mouth falling open, _who I forgot to inform about my change of plans today, nice going Possible, way to show consideration for your best friend. You promised him you were going to be a better friend to him, and now look what happens, just because you made a new friend, doesn't mean you should forget about the old one, especially after everything you've been through together._

"…Good morning, Kimberly," said a voice behind her, Kim winced, he only ever called her 'Kimberly' when he was angry with her, with Ron as a best friend, Kim never had to wonder if he was mad at her. The longer her name, the more pissed off he was, and he had every right to be angry with her today, if he ever used all three she would begin doubting the stability of their friendship. Monique did not turn her head, because it was said in high freq. Ron came into view, and sat down across from the two girls, "Hello, ladies," Ron said to both, normally Ron would sit beside Kim, but not today, that seat seemed to be taken. "You must be Monique," Ron said waving from across the table, "hi, I'm Ron, Ron Stoppable." Ron was not the possessive, overbearing type, he never told Kim what to do except on missions, but on missions, they were partners, not best friends. Ron _always_ showed a healthy respect for women, he _never_ saw them as anything less or more than men, neither belittling them nor placing them on a pedestal, he treated them as equals, especially Kim. Ron was surrounded by strong, smart, and powerful women; his mom, Mrs. Possible, and his spirit-sister, Kim. He accepted them as they were, and never asked for anything in return, except for the same consideration.

"Hey," Monique returned, "cool shades, and I like the hair, Kim has been telling me all about your adventures together, you two are totally awesome."

"Thank you, Monique," Ron said, with a warm smile, "I'm sorry, I missed you this morning, I heard from Kimberly's _mom_ , that she went to school without me today." Kim winced, at the silent rebuke. Ron also, never yelled at her openly, he knew that when she realized her mistake, she would be the one beating herself up, and he never needed to add his own recriminations, she would do that for him. _I really dropped the ball today, and Ron is letting me know how he feels about that, not by yelling and embarrassing me, but by being his usual happy go lucky self. Ron knows me better than anybody, and he knows how to cut my ego down to size. It's one of the advantages and disadvantages of having your best friend, also be your oldest friend. Oh, he'll embarrass me, he just won't do it using this, he'll be subtle, probably be retelling the stories I told Monique, and others that will be highly embarrassing when told in front of my new friend._

"Yeah, normally me and Ron walk to school, together," Kim confessed to her new friend, "but, I got so excited about walking to school with a new friend, that I neglected to tell Ron here about a change of plans." In frequencies outside the range of human ears, Kim said, "Ronnie, I'm so sorry." Ron did not say anything back, he just sighed and nodded, and they continued chatting with Monique, Ron told some of the same stories Kim told her but from his point of view. Even embarrassing anecdotes that had Kim blushing and hiding her face.

Lunch ended, and they got up, Kim walked around to her brother, holding her arms open which he accepted, "I forgive you Kim," Ron said in a high freq, "and you know I wouldn't have minded walking to school alone, if I had known your plans in advance, just tell me ahead of time, next time." Then Ron said something that nearly broke her heart, "Kim, please don't replace me, just because you make new friends, you are my best friend, like my sister, even closer in some ways, but without Rufus, you're my only friend," his voice was so hollow, and when she looked up from the hug into his eyes, which were perfect companions for his voice. _I won't take Ronnie, for granted, again. Ron never takes me for granted, he treats me like his most precious person, I will make sure he knows how much he means to me._ "I'm going to the arena tonight with Hank," he said still in high freq, "you two have fun with whatever you're going to do KP."

Kim leaned up and kissed his cheek. When he called her KP, she knew they were good, for him to say KP was like telling her, how special she was to him. Her Ron, is the only person in the world, she allows to call her KP; in boot camp this summer one of Kim's drill instructors, tried to call her that, and she always ignored him, she did not lose her temper she just refused to answer her D.I.'s when they called her 'KP.' Suddenly, she could not stop herself, she reached up and grabbed him by the ears, and switching to low freq so he could feel it in his bones, started to speak, "You listen and listen good Ronald Victor Stoppable, you are my rock, my Peter, my foundation. Where I end, you begin, and I would sooner cut off my right arm than replace you," tears were welling up in her eyes as Kim tells her best friend, how special he is to her. _I love you, Ronnie. I just don't have the guts to tell you, that you're my soulmate._

* * *

 **Mayhem in Middleton Locker Room**

Inside the Middleton Sports Arena, the stars of the show, who were quite cordial with each other when out of the public eye, were making small talk in the locker room. "So, you're taking a vacation this year," Paul King, aka Pain King asked his work buddy?

Steve Toll, aka Steel Toe, answered, "Yeah, we went ahead a rented and cottage out on Martha's Vineyard," Steve turned to face his friend, "you know, it'll be nice to get a chance to relax with the wife and kids."

"Sounds charming," Paul said while placing his small crown on his head.

There was suddenly a knock on the door, and fearing it was a fan immediately got into character. "I hate your guts," Pain King growled.

"I'm taking you down slime," Steel Toe roared. The door opened, and Jackie Oakes walked in much to their relief, "oh, hi Jackie," Steve said, "man I thought you were a reporter or something."

"Ah," Jackie said waving it away, "nah, nah, Ey lissen, eh, what da you guys think about me gittin' inna da ring wit youse tunite, uh?"

Paul and Steve shared a look of concern, then they laughed, long and loud thinking their boss was joking. "C'mon Jackie, be reasonable," Paul said, taking in Jackie's height.

Then Steve piped up, "Yeah, I don't mean to sell you short," then he covered his mouth, "oh."

Jackie's smile never wavered as he said, "Oh, very funny, v-very funny," Jackie quipped.

"Sorry, man I didn't mean it like that," Steve tried to apologize.

Paul placed his hand on Jackie's shoulders, "Stick to promoting Jackie," he said chuckling, "that's what your good at…"

Jackie threw off Paul's hands and stormed out of the locker room. Once outside, the fight promoter dug into his pockets and pulled out the necklace of Anubis. "Oh, dis is all gonna change," he said quietly, "tunite," then gripping the talisman in his hand began laughing like mad.

* * *

 **Main Arena**

[Latin translation]

Out in the main arena area, Ron Stoppable and Hank McCoy took their seats, ringside. They had been chatting in Latin since Hank picked Ron up at his house tonight. Hank got the understandable double-take on occasion but paid it no more mind than usual. Ron being Ron, walked along oblivious to any looks thrown his way by association with the walking blue carpet next to him. "Caesar se non habemus ut sedes hac nocte," [Caesar himself could not get the seats we have tonight,] Hank told his young friend.

"Gratanter epulis praesumebat, hac nocte, ut non-sit ex cruentis sicut in primam Imperatoris Romae," [Thankfully, the festivities, tonight, will not be as gory as the first Emperor of Rome's,] Ron said to his teacher. "Gratias ago tibi, quia veniens ad me, Hank," [Thank you, for coming with me, Hank,] Ron said wistfully.

Beast grinned, "Et erunt simul sentio vos optus consobrinus secunda nocte," [And, I sense you wish for my second cousin to be accompanying you this night,] acknowledging the dinosaur in the room. Ron did nothing, but nod at acceptance of the truth.

"Ego vado scaenam, ut quidam antographs, Kim velit, me quidem copiosas de nocte tulit, et quod suus 'iustus non-quod Im' agnus dei," [I am going backstage, to get some autographs, Kim wants me to bore her with details about tonight, and that's just what I'm gonna do,] Ron smiled. "Non-ad te pertinet, mecum, mea opinione esse doctorem," [Would you care to accompany me, my esteemed teacher?]

"Ego manere in praesidio nostris sedibus ne clanculum," [I will remain as a guard over our seats to prevent interlopers,] the Middleton High chemistry teacher answered his student.

Ron strutted by two guys he recognized from Middleton Mall Friday night. "Hey nice seats," Ron acknowledged.

"Yeah," one of them said, high fiving each other.

"Not as good as mine," Ron retorted waving his ticket in their faces, "backstage pass, baby!" Ron strutted a little more, over to a roadie standing guard by the backstage curtain, the guard raised the curtain acknowledging the backstage pass. Backstage was like a whole new world for Ron, the conversations being held were magical to him, one guy kept going on and on about how golf was a contact sport. Ron spotted his heroes walking by him, "Wow, Pain King and Steel Toe, so close I can touch them," he said in excitement, then collected himself and said, "but I won't, cause I'm cool," he said trying to sound suave, to himself at least. "Yo, Steel Toe, sup Pain," casually poking the big guy, "I touched Steel Toe," he said leaping out of his chair.

The two wrestlers turned and looked at him, "Hey, kid," Steel Toe said, looking at the shades wearing teenager, "nice hair."

"Thanks. Can I have an autograph," he asked them, while pulling up his shirt revealing a well-toned, but lean torso, "can you make it, to Ron?"

"Nice abs, kid," Pain King told him, and Steel Toe nodded, "let me get a pin." Turning around he calls out, "Yo Jackie?"

"Yeah, where is that guy," Steel Toe agreed, "I need _my_ sunglasses, pronto?"

Ron, ever the helpful guy, immediately responded, "I'll get them," he burst out, "can I get them, please, please?"

Steel Toe smiled, "Sure kid," he said pointing back the way they just came from, "they're in my dressing room." Ron about died of excitement and turned charging down the hallway.

Back in the dressing room, Jackie was going through a little ritual to gain full access to the power of the amulet. "Let me see if I got everyt'ing right: open toed sandals; check, Anubis amulet, yep, oo glowin' dat is nice, and my ancient papyrus which I shall now, begin ta read from. Anubis, Protector of da Tomb, Your Time is Now, The Time of DOOM!" And with the words his eyes began to glow a golden yellow color, and a great wind began to swirl around him and he began to grow in stature and power, which just happened to be when Ron Stoppable walked in.

Ron just stared at the monster in front of him, "You know what, I'll just come back later," he said. The monster that was Jackie Oakes advanced on Ron, who removed his shades, and relaxed his concentration. Ron remained the same height, but his teeth grew, and so did his ears, they changed to look more like wolves' ears. Most notably his skin turned a dark, almost midnight blue, and his eyes glowed, like the full moon. There was a crash and Ron came flying out, he righted himself in mid-air and rebounded off the wall. Ron sprang up to the ceiling from the wall, he inverted so his feet impacted the ceiling and pushed off inverting again, adding momentum and gravity to his body weight. Ron's kick struck the monster, sending it right into the wall.

The Jackie monster picked itself up off the floor, and looked at Ron with his eyes narrowing, it snarled. Then it charged with a ROAR that could be heard in the main arena, "tonight the world will face the power of the Jackal," the newly name Jackal said, as it's shadow loomed over Ron, he was faced with one ironic truth, _this is gonna hurt_. Ron was picked up in one giant paw, and thrown out into the arena, with so much force that when he collided with Steel Toe, both of their forward motions were stopped.

Pain King pulled Ron off his opponent, and in exasperation said, "What are you doing, whoever you are?"

Ron's injuries healed in seconds and he shook himself awake, "There's a problem," he pointed at the monster approaching the ring. "Him," Ron said. The Jackal started forward just as it cleared the ropes in the ring.

* * *

The moment Ron was thrown literally into the ring, Kim was sitting with Monique in a coffee shop. She was idly stirring her coffee and feeling bummed. Ron had forgiven her for her lapse in judgement, and with Ron once he forgives, it was like it never happened. Kim just missed him, she missed sitting next to him and being able to touch him whenever she wanted. Maybe it would not have been so bad to humor him, this once when it came to wrestling, it was a once in a lifetime event.

Monique had been sitting there watching Kim for the last few minutes. Kim had seemed depressed all night, unless the topic shifted to her best friend, then she was lively and expressive. Monique decided to see what the ish was, and asked, "Not enough froth in your latte?"

Kim was startled out of her own little world, "Huh," then realizing the question answered her new friend, "No, I'm just feeling guilty," then setting her spoon aside admitted, "I kind of blew off Ron, to be here tonight."

"Why didn't you bring him along," Monique asked?

"Unless somebody put a waiter in a headlock this is not Ron's scene," Kim informed Monique, "though if I asked, he would have at least tried to be here, and not be bored. He had a date tonight, with Steel Toe at the Middleton Sports Arena."

Monique suddenly got excited, "He scored tickets to Mayhem in Middleton!? The GWA rocks!"

"What," Kim asked in astonishment?

"Pretty tacky, I know," Monique said, as she blushed, fingering her cup, "but, my brother hooked me into it." She began to get excited again, "Pain King's my boy."

"I can't believe, you and Ron have something in common," Kim said. That's when the Kimm-watch beeped, "What up Wade?"

"There's a disturbance at the Middleton Sports Arena," Wade told her, "and Ron's caught in the middle of it."

Kim was on her feet, and moving before Wade's mouth closed, speaking a mile a minute, "Sorry Monique," she told her new friend, "but Ron needs me. Wade, I'll need a ride."

"Handle yo business girl," Monique yelled while waving.

"Your ride should be there in seconds, but I found more on the talisman," Wade began, "if the holder recites an ancient incantation, the spirit of Anubis could actually possess him." Kim listened to Wade while she walked outside and waited. "That's what's happening at the arena, Jackie Oakes is now being possessed by the spirit of Anubis, Ron's made a full transformation, and could barely slow him down."

There was a sudden roar of a motorcycle as it barreled to a stop right in front of Kim. "Get on," the driver growled. On the bike was a man who by his own admission, was the best there is at what he does, wearing a bomber jacket, a jungle-green tank, leather belt and buckle, a weather beaten old cowboy hat, and cowboy boots.

Kim wasted no time straddling the back of the Harley, "Thanks for picking me up, uncle Wolvie," Kim said gratefully.

"Don't mention it, darlin," Logan said, "Hank's there too, X-Men take care of our own."

"Then get this iron horse moving," Kim ordered, "Ron and Hank may need us."

Wolverine grinned, "whatever you say Kimmie," and he revved up the machine and they were gone.

* * *

Meanwhile back at the arena…

Pain King and Steel Toe did not stick around, not even when they found out, it was their friend Jackie Oakes. The audience was not moving from their seats, they all thought it was part of the show. Hank was astonished for half a second before he moved into action. The Jackal's strength seemed to double as it grew another foot. Ron's companion Hank jumped, and landed full on the so-called god's shoulders, but for all his brutish façade, Hank was not much stronger than a normal human. The only thing Beast could do was add his weight to the brute's own and try to slow the Jackal down. Ron stood up and charged forward, leaping around the ring trying to distract the monster that used to be fight promoter Jackie Oakes. On the last leap when Ron thinks he has taken the creature by surprise he leaps directly at it. When with supernatural reflexes The Jackal's arm streaks out and catches Ron by the throat in a vice like grip.

To Anubis swatting this useless mortal was not a sufficient use of his might, to Jackie beatin' dis kid down wasn't gonna prove that shoyt was powuhfo, too. So, together Jackie and Anubis flung the teenager away so hard that he went through the roof. This and a few other things happened in the same instant, Kim and Logan burst into the stadium, The Jackal grabbed Hank and threw him out of the ring, and the power within Ronald Victor Stoppable awakened… and another more ancient god stirred. "OO, OO, OO, AHH, AHH, AHH," a monkey shrieked!

In the next instant, there was a flash of blue, and Ron was back in front of Jackal, his eyes were glowing blue, and a cerulean aura surrounded the body of Ron Stoppable, his fist was back, and he punched the Jackal right in the face, the blow was powerful enough to send Jackal flying back into the ropes which rebounded sending the Jackal back at Ron. Ron sidestepped, and clotheslined the approaching monster. _Big brother,_ Jackie heard Anubis say. The blow stunned Jackal, and Ron made his way to his teammates. Ron approached Logan, Hank, who had righted himself enough to land on his feet near his teammate, and Kim, the blue aura winked out.

They were all still in their streets though Kim was transformed. She must have been worried about Ron to allow herself to be seen like that. Ron made it over to his best friend, and teachers, "The audience thinks, this is all part of the show," Ron told them, "to maintain mine and Kim's secret, I see no reason to disabuse them of that notion, do you?"

Kim laughed, "you just want to be part of the show, don't you Ron?" All Ron could do was smile at that, and nod.

They all thought about it, and smirked, "it has truly been a lifetime, since I stepped into a professional wrestling ring," Hank acknowledged, flipping back into the ring.

"We used to train in hand to hand combat, when I was in spec ops," Logan admitted, "it'll be more of a test to see if I can hold back." Logan rolled into the ring and stood up.

Kim grinned and literally leaped into the ring, landing right next to her brother, "Let's take him down Ron."

"I'd tag team with you any day KP," Ron said, and they fived each other.

"Ron," Kim said in high freq, while grasping his hand, "when he threw you something weird happened." Ron looked at her with a puzzled expression, "I saw the distance opening between us, but then you were here, and I didn't see the distance closing."

Ron's eyes widened, and he replied in the same high freq, "Don't ask me what happened, I just remember being thrown, but then I was back here," looking into the ring he saw their two teachers squaring off with the Jackal. "We can figure it out later," he said as they turn to the ring, and shouted in normal vocal range, "because, right now, it's clobberin' time!"

In New York at Four Freedoms Plaza, Benjamin J. Grimm, Fantastic Four's Ever-Lovin' Blue-Eyed Thing, who had been watching the action in the living room, yelled out, " **THAT'S MY LINE, YEH FARKIN NUB!** "

By now, Jackal has stood up and glowered, at the four assailants arrayed against it. It kept an eye on Ron, the last person to hurt it, **twice**. Kim leaps overhead and lands on Jackal's head, she hooks her legs under its armpits and rides it. Kim extends her claws and starts slashing and clawing the back of its head, but Jackal's healing factor seemed only slightly slower than Ron's. Beast uses more brute strength than precision, and charges the brute using his own claws and his knowledge of human anatomy. Hank aims his punches at the weak points of the ribs, he uses his knowledge of physics to apply leverage to limbs to keep them away from Hank's second cousin. The two cousins distract the monster for a few moments, giving Logan and Ron time to set up a combination attack.

Ron's eyes glow blue once more, and the azure aura surrounds Kim Possible's best friend. There is a " **SNIKT** " and Logan suddenly shouts, "Hank, fastball special!" Beast looked over and saw his teammate being held by Ron Stoppable, Wolverine's six adamantium claws are fully extended, and there is a focus in his eyes. The Beast reacts instantly by jumping over Jackal's head and grabbing Kim off the towering monster. Kim feeling the familiar texture of her cousin's fur does not resist, because she trusts her cousin, his teammate, and most of all her Ron. Ron launches Wolverine across the ring, directly at the Jackal, with reflexes born of hundreds of battles, on this planet and others, Logan swings his arm, and his adamantium claws slice. Logan lands on the other side of the ring, with an efficient roll. Something drops from the chest of the Jackal, and bounces on the floor, coming to a rest, it is the talisman, no longer glowing, because the power that exists within, is now dormant.

The Jackal shrank back down to good old misguided, Jackie Oakes. The four warriors surround him, "only a pin can officially end the match," Ron tells them, to which Kim smirks, shaking her head at her best friend. Ron and Hank each take an arm, and put Jackie into an armbar, Kim sits on him wrapping her legs around his neck, and Logan bends one of Jackie's legs back for a leg pin. The referee, mysteriously absent for the bout, counted to three for the pin, and all four take the win. Kim and Ron call in Global Justice to take Jackie Oakes into custody, and return the talisman to the Middleton Museum, with some ancient glyphs provided by a certain Doctor, to prevent it from being used again.

When the 'wrestlers' were interviewed they did not provide any information, other than their nommé de guerre, Beast, Wolverine, Rouge, and Dire Wolf.

* * *

 **At Bueno Nacho… two days later…**

After the match Beast and Wolverine drove their students home, and left for their own place, rented for them by Professor Xavier. Hank stayed long enough to visit with his cousin, Jimmy, and his wife, before taking his own leave. Monique called that night to hear about the details of their mission, and that's when Kim asked her to come over to her house.

 _The day after Mayhem in Middleton, there was a knock on the Possible front door. Which was answered by Ron, in his base form. He smiled at Monique, and gestured her inside, "Welcome to the Possible family home, Monique," he said before turning and leading her up to Kim's room. It was after school and they were approaching twilight, Kim's parents were at an open house at her brothers' school and wouldn't be home for hours._

 _When Ron brought the other girl up to Kim's room, the girl's eyes immediately bugged out of her head, because standing in the middle of her room was Kim in her cat form. As, Monique stared Kim began to revert to her base form, right in front of her. " **Monique there's something you need to kn** ow about me," Kim told her new friend, "and him," she said pointing to Monique's left, who turned and shrieked, as she saw Ron in his true form._

 _However, after her initial surprise, she seemed to calm down, as she looked at them and it was her turn to surprise them. "Mutant or alien," she asked? She took in their expression with great satisfaction,_ that was for startling me _, she thought. "I think I should tell you who my uncle is, but first my full name is, Monique Casper. My uncle is Sam Wilson, in the Airforce and Air National Guard, he was given the call sign: Falcon, and he kept it, when he became an Avenger."_

Kim, Ron, and Monique were sitting in their normal booth at Bueno Nacho, hashing about their shared interests. The current topic of conversation was the GWA, "you know I still can't believe, you met Pain King and Steel Toe," Monique was exclaiming.

"Well the fact that professional wrestling is totally choreographed, is a hard pill to swallow, but I still can't believe, you're into wrestling," Ron replied.

"I can't believe, I know either one of you," Kim said in mock-horror. Which caused, her two friends to look at her with narrowed eyes, which she returned as a challenge.

Monique ignored her jibe and picked up a burrito, "Enough talk," she ordered, then narrowing her eyes at Ron, "in the immortal words of Pain King, 'you're goin' down,'" she challenged!

Ron just grinned, and picked up his own burrito, "Au contraire, it is you who will be going down," he challenged.

"First one to drip is a loser," Monique stated.

"Better get your bib, baby," Ron retorted.

"So, on," she replied, and the got their food into position in front of their mouths, which were opened. At an unknown signal, both competitors began chowing down.

Kim just watched as her two friends shared a common interest, then leaning back, she said, "I think this is the beginning of a very weird friendship."


	6. 005: Trick

X-Possible

Trick

It was evening in the Middle East, and in a darkened restaurant, two villains and one henchwoman, begin haggling over the top-secret technology one of them stole. "Is it true," Dr. Drakken asked emphasizing his words, "Duff Killigan, that you stole the top-secret Centurion Project?"

"Maybe," the mad duffer replied, "is et troo, Docter Drakken, you're looking to perchase the recently stolen, top-secret Centurion Project?"

"Maybe," Drakken admitted.

Behind them, Shego rolls her eyes and quickly loses her patience, she slams a briefcase down between them, "here's the money," she says quickly, "now hand over the Centurion Project," she demanded holding her hand out, palm up!

"Shego," Drakken growls like a kicked puppy, "we're about to haggle!"

"And, Ah doo love teh haggle," Killigan agrees, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

Shego was having none of it, "Let's just get the Centurion Project and get outta here," she said urgently! Ever since Kimmie's sidekick has started stepping up on missions, things have gotten a little tight in the villainy business. Capers have been getting foiled sooner, and lairs destroyed faster. She and Dr. D, have been on the run since they escaped custody of the US military, for trying to infiltrate a top-secret military base, last May, using of all things, a mind switch device. Shego and the henchmen, never even came face-to-face with the teen hero and her sidekick, they had snuck into the base, liberating the prisoner they were guarding, and left without even setting off an alarm. Which was unusual considering Kim's sidekick, Ron Something-or-Other, was the biggest klutz she had ever met, besides her own boss. Adding insult to injury, they had even managed to trap them in their own base, simply by disabling the elevator. That's why in the future Shego would insist on having multiple escape routes built into the lairs, even the time-shares they rented from Henchco. They stayed in military custody, long enough for the authorities to switch Dr. D back into his body, then she broke them out.

"Ach, you're a harsh one lass," Duff said, handing them, what seemed like a bracelet.

Drakken accepted it with a confused expression, he waved it back and forth, and even bit into it like a gold coin. "This," he asked sounding dubious, "is the Centurion Project?"

"Aye," the scourge of the links growled, "eh don blame me if it's a wee thingy," he said taking the briefcase, opening and began counting his money, "blame the scientists tha built et."

"And guess what, I think the scientists that invented it," came a feminine voice behind them, "would like it back."

"Hand over the top-secret device, and we'll let you go," came another voice, this one deeper. They looked and standing next to Kim Possible was a man, with crimson and wheat colored hair, wearing amber-gold mirrored shades, and standing a few inches taller than his teen partner. "We're not interested in you three, right now," the voice informed them, "we want the device, not you."

Kim just looked at them and took in their stunned expressions. Maybe it was the feline in her, but she loved to see that look on an adversary's face when she burst in on them. The two villains said together in shocked voices, "KIM POSSIBLE!"

"Wait," Duff asked, "yeh know her?"

"Know her," Drakken growled in pure anger, "loathe her. Shego, Attack," he ordered.

Shego just looked at her nemesis, like a predator stalking its prey, she had been assessing her opponent from behind her boss. Shego took in the features of the person, standing next to the teen heroine, looking passed his hair and glasses, at the features of the face itself. He looked familiar to her somehow, as if she'd seen his face before, it looked very much like the face of the man, she wanted to kill more than any other in the world. They looked like the features of Sabretooth.

Shego did not even hear her boss's command, as she leapt over the head of her boss placing her hands atop his head, using it as a springboard. She leapt into the middle of the floor, did a series of cartwheels, ending in a back handspring, that carried her over Kim Possible's head, right into the face of the man standing behind her. Ron dodged around her attack, by spinning around it and parrying her leg with his, launching his elbow right at her spine. Before it landed, Shego jumped high over his head, where he lost her in the ceiling, and she came down fifteen feet behind him.

That's where she ignited her power, the green flame bestowed upon her by the comet. She charged back at who she believed to be the only person in the world she truly hated. Despite her villainous ways, Shego has never taken a life, no matter who she fought she would never willingly kill anyone, unless it was in self-defense. It was a holdover from her days as a hero, the only exception she would ever allow herself was the bastard, she believed she was fighting, now. She slashed at the person, she believed had killed her brothers, the superhero team, that used to be known as Team Go, with her adamantium nails, that could cut through any substance known to man, made for her by Dr. D when she came to work for him. "Die, Victor Creed," she screamed, with spittle flying from her mouth. "DIE!"

The man widened his eyes, behind his sunglasses, as she yelled out her hatred of his grandfather, then his eyes narrowed, "I am **not** Victor Creed," he roared which surprised her! Then taking advantage of her lapse, attacked and faster than a lizard's tongue, he surged forward with a punch to her face, and in rapid succession in the same speed, he delivered a combination of blows to her midsection, then an uppercut, which sent her back into the wall. He walked over to his downed opponent, then grabbing her by the hair wrenched her face up to look at her, and spoke in a snarl, "My name is Ronald Victor Stoppable," he said to her, "you can call me, Dire Wolf!"

When Shego charged and leapt toward her, Kim did the same, to say she was surprised, when instead of meeting her head on, Shego bounced over Kim's head and immediately attacked Ron, would be the understatement of the millennium, and they were only four years into the first decade. Kim was not overly worried about her best friend, who in the last month has improved in his skill at fighting. They spar together every week, and together they have both been improving. She was still more agile, and flexible than him, but the gap was closing rapidly, unless she was transformed of course, then the gap widened comfortably.

Then she turned her head back to Drakken and Duff, the latter of which was about to swing a golf club at an exploding golf ball. Kim immediately pressed a button on the communication watch she has named, Kimm-watch. Duff suddenly felt his club being tugged from his grasp, right after the Centurion project was pulled from Drakken's own grip. Both objects came flying across the room to the waiting teenager, the bracelet looped itself on Kim's wrist, just before she caught the flying golf club. "Nine-iron, not the way to play this hole," Kim quipped, "not with my super-magnet loaded into my Kimm-watch." Just as she said that the Centurion Project tightened on her wrist, _guess it's coming with me_ , she thought.

The two villains ran and took cover, just as the golf ball exploded. The shockwave of the explosion collided with the roof, causing cracks to begin forming on the ceiling. "The roof," Duff exclaimed, "she's coming down!"

"That can't be good," Drakken mused.

Shego had apparently calmed down, especially when he told her his real name, "you're Ron Stoppable," she asked, in disbelief? Then smiled, "what happened to you," she asked, "you used to be such a dork, now you're a hunk?"

Ron blushed at the compliment, "Puberty happened," he told the adult woman, "and a few other things as well." Just as the golf ball exploded, Kim made a dash for the fighting couple.

Kim's eyes narrowed when she heard her arch nemesis make a pass at her best friend, _Did Shego just make a pass at my Ron?_ "Let's go Ron, we've got things to do back home," and so grabbing him by the hand she drags him out of the restaurant.

Kim and Ron ran out of the restaurant, as it came crumbling down around the two villains. From under a slab of concrete Shego stood up uncovering her boss and the one he was about to do business with. She looked at them with a quirked eye-brow, while even a direct hit from the golf ball would not have harmed her, Drakken could have at least warned her. She'll talk to him about that later, in a little session she likes to call, "Drakken Go Ouchy," but now was not the time. _Why does Stoppable, look so much like that bastard who killed my family,_ Shego wondered? _He is not like Sabretooth at all._

She was pulled out of her thoughts because Duff, had the temerity to ask, "do I still get me money?" Then, Drakken proceeds to lose his mind, as he begins to curse and shout, though he can barely form the words, he was so mad.

Back in Middleton, Hallowe'en season was in full swing, with the Possible front yard decorated in all kinds of "scary" stuff. Jack O'Lanterns on hay bales or with witch hats, a bat swinging in the window, and a tombstone or two. That combined with Phantom of the Opera themed music, screaming out of loudspeakers, set the tone for the macabre holiday of the year.

In the bedroom of Kim Possible, she was on the Kimm-watch with Wade. The scientists that reported the Centurion Project missing, all had plans for Hallowe'en, apparently the return of their top-secret scientific proto-type was not a top priority for them. "Wade, when do those scientists want to pick up their property," she asked in exasperation, while holding the device she and her best friend, risked life, and limb to retrieve? After it clamped on her wrist they tried everything to get it off, but nothing worked until they got home, and she made herself intangible. Then it dropped right off and returned to its original state.

"Sorry Kim," Wade said, in a conciliatory voice, "but they've all left for the weekend already."

Kim thought, "did you remind them that we charge extra for keeping it overnight?" Just like artifact retrieval, device and research retrieval was one of the missions for which Team Possible charged a fee. But, only if the contacting entity can prove to them that it was theirs to begin with, Wade always made doubly sure on these missions to be sure that they were not just being used to steal technology from a rival entity, even going so far as to hack the client's computers to see if their claims are true. Now, that they were SHIELD and Global Justice officers with access to those databases, they now could say with 100% certainty that they do their due diligence, before taking requests like retrieving the Centurion Project.

"I reminded them and even pointed to the specific clause in the contract that highlights that circumstance," Wade informed her, "and they said again, that we would have to keep it over the weekend."

Kim sighed, "Did they at least tell you what it does," she asked?

Wade looked reticent, "Kim, the data on the Centurion Project is hacker proof," he said looking around.

Kim noticed the look on his face, he seemed to be holding something back, "What is it Wade, you said it was hacker proof, not other means of retrieving it proof?" The eleven-year-old super-genius looked shocked that she called him on his slip, "Wade, I have two younger brothers who are, if you put them together just as smart as you, their better at hiding their facial expressions than you," she reminded him, "now spill."

Wade sighed, "The Centurion Project was inspired by the Hulk, and was built specifically to counter him. It is a next generation bio armor meant to become more durable the more stressed the wearer becomes, theoretically to counter the Hulk's strength, this version was just the proto-type, and had major flaws according to the SHIELD-GJ sources I checked."

Kim was nodding, "That would make sense, the angrier the Hulk gets, the stronger he becomes. I don't approve of the way the military handles the Hulk sitch, but who're we to judge, we've never gone up against him." Wade nodded, but thought, _but Doctor Banner seemed just so laid back when he was my professor at MIT, in Advanced Particle Physics._ Kim signed off the Kimm-watch just as her phone rang, "Hello," she said lightly.

But the burst of sound coming from her phone startled her, "Kim, I have unbelievable news," her new friend Monique shouted over the phone!

Kim smirked, "You know of a way to take the Centurion Project off my hands," she asked? Kim opens a safe just below her bed, buried into the floor, and deposits the bracelet inside. This is the most impregnable safe in Middleton, made of two layers of half-inch thick Adamantium, surrounding a third layer of Vibranium. The molecules of the two metals were structured like a diamond's molecular structure, it was a gift from T'challe, the prince of Wakanda, after doing a favor Team Possible did for the Wakandan people. Ron has one too, which he gifted to his mother, and they both use it.

"The what now," Monique asked?

"Never mind," Kim smiled. "So, what's up," she asked?

"I got the party green-light," Monique gushed.

"That is ferociously cool," Kim said getting excited, and standing up from her bed, "when is it?"

"Tonight," the American of African descent chirped as her voice reached a higher octave.

"As in Hallowe'en," Kim asked deflating, and laying back down again, and groaning…

"It's a costume party," Monique continued, "everybody is going to be there!"

"… everybody except me, and Ron," she whined to her new friend.

"But, you gotta come…" Monique entreated.

Later at Bueno Nacho, the reason Kim could not come to Monique's Hallowe'en party was Kim's best friend. "I've already promised Ron, that I'd spend Hallowe'en with him," Kim told Monique. Kim and Monique were walking into Ron's favorite eatery, and home of the top selling fast food item in the world – invented by Ron – the Naco. They walked in and saw Ron sitting at his and Kim's favorite booth, and she immediately claimed the seat next to her Ron. "He loves Hallowe'en," Kim said heavily, and Ron just nods his head enthusiastically.

"What better way to celebrate than at my party," Monique asked in her most excited, and convincing tone of voice? Ron was making his way through a triple Naco Grande platter, ever since he started making great strides to improve himself, he had cut back on Bueno Nacho to once a month, and holidays like Hallowe'en. He continued to listen to his best friend and their new friend debate the Hallowe'en party.

"A party would interfere with the Trick-or-Treat action," Kim explained, looking at her BFF to confirm what he would have said, which he just nods as he continued to eat and listen.

Monique looked surprised, "as in smell my feet, gimme something good to eat?" She asked looking in Ron's direction incredulously, and he just continued to nod as he started in on his last grande platter.

"That's right Monique," Kim answered, "while I think we're a little old for T-or-T, Ron still wants to hold on to his childhood a little while longer," she said, not noticing the look her best friend threw her way. Ron finished his bite and swigs down a shot of Dr. Jalapeño.

"Kim," Ron spoke-up, she turned and looked at him, "I agree with you, I think we're too old to go trick-or-treating."

Kim gasped, as the last phrase she thought she would ever hear from her Ron, came out of his mouth, "You… you think we're too old to go trick-or-treating," but before he could answer she pressed her Kimm-watch call button. She called Wade, "Wade quickly, analyze the scan I am about to send you," before pressing the face of the watch a few times, as a beam of light shot out of it, enveloping the boy next to her.

"KP," Ron began…

"Shut it you, I only let one person call me that," Kim yelled, "and from the statement you just made, you are most definitely not him!" He opened his mouth to reply, but closed it again, _this is what she would do if I wasn't here, and I really was an imposter, it's nice to know she at least thinks about me when we aren't in each other's presence._

Wade's voice came over the Kimm-watch, "The scan indicates Ron Stoppable," the eleven-year-old said to Kim, "what're you doing, checking your equipment?

"KP," Ron said in low freq, taking her hand in his, "I'm glad you only let me call you by your initials, makes me feel truly appreciated, and special."

"So, you really are, my Ron," Kim finally accepts, voice coming into human vocal range, she barely noticed him holding her hand, "what's with this talk about not going trick-or-treating, you love that?"

Ron nods, "I do, and I will be going trick-or-treating, just not as a trick-or-treater."

"What do you mean," Kim asked confused, "how can you go trick-or-treating, and not be a trick-or-treater?"

"By going as, a chaperone-guide," Ron enlightened her, "I have volunteered to take kids whose parents are out of town, or otherwise unable around the neighborhood, so they don't miss out. Rabbi Katz, called me today asking for help; seems there are more kids this year than ever and they needed more volunteers. I've already agreed to it, and I was going to ask you, when we met up today, if you wanted to help guide another group of kids, but if you want to go to Monique's party, you can do that too."

Kim squeezes his hand in hers, and speaks to her newest friend, without turning away from her oldest friend's shades-covered eyes, "Monique, when will the party end?"

"Mom and Pop said, since it's the weekend, and a holiday, that it can go 'til midnight," the other girl replied.

Kim thumbed her chin, then squeezing Ron's hand reflexively, she turns to him, "what time are you supposed to drop-off the last child?"

"I am to return the last child to the synagogue tonight by nine," Ron replied.

"That'll give me time to get to the party," Kim said excitedly, "after I go trick-or-treating with Ron!"

Ron could not be any happier, he got to spend a holiday with his best friend, doing his favorite activity. "Coolio," Ron exclaimed, throwing his unoccupied hand into the air in a fist, "I get to spend my favorite holiday, with my favorite person of all time, doing my favorite activity of all time!" He did not care, if anybody was watching, Ron's motto of 'never be normal,' would never allow himself to be self-conscious about making a scene in public. "Then she can still go have fun at a party," Ron's eyes widened, and voice became more subdued, the longer he spoke, "where she can get hit on by the guys in our school."

"You too Ron," Monique put in before Kim could open her mouth, "you're my friend, too. That makes you welcome at my party, as well."

"Yeah Ron, you've been working so hard to improve yourself," Kim admitted to him, subconsciously giving his hand, still firmly in her grasp a squeeze and a thumb rub. "I know you didn't really do it for me, but for yourself, I have been so proud of you the last few months. You deserve a night to relax, and as you've put it in the past, marinate."

Ron just gave her that goofy grin, "you ain't gotta ask me twice," he burst out, "finally I have a venue that allows me to showcase my bon-diggity dance moves." Both teen girls just smiled at the teen boy among them, one who was already making room in her heart for him as a cherished friend, and the other who's heart he was so embedded in it was like they were one person. "I won't even have to buy a costume this year, mine comes with the package," he said indicating himself.

Drakken's Lair

Deep in the Caribbean, on an island that is an extinct volcano, and on top of that volcano is a fortress. Within this fortress, Drew Lipskey, also known as Dr. Drakken, is on the phone with the other villain, he attempted to do business with yesterday. Duff Killigan was of the belief that even though the device he stole, was taken back by Kim Possible, he should still be paid. He contends that he had delivered on his end of the bargain, and it was Drakken's own fault that he could not retain ownership of the device. Drakken, however was of a different opinion, "For the last time Duff," he retorted, "I will not pay you." Then held the phone away from his ear as Killigan explained his point of view – in his own way, _'I WANT ME MONEY!'_ "Look," Drakken said in his most reasonable, but firm voice, "I said, I would pay you, when the stolen Centurion Project was in my possession, it is not in my possession, therefore…, I'm not paying." _'YEH, YEH, YOU'RE A CRIMINAL,'_ the mad duffer exclaimed in disbelief, over the line Drakken distinctly heard the strain of stressed metal! _What's he doing over there bending his golf clubs,_ Drew wondered? "My dear fellow," he began disarmingly, "I repeatedly try to take over the world," then finally losing his patience, barks, "OF COURSE I'M CRIMINAL!" _'WELL, I'LL TELL YOU THIS MUCH LADDIE,'_ Killigan began threatening his super-villain contemporary, _'THE NEXT TIME I STEAL IT, I'LL SELL IT TO SOMEONE ELSE,'_ before hanging up! "The nerve of that man," Drakken grumbled before bellowing, "Shego!"

As the woman the world knows as Shego appears in his office door. Making her way to his desk she opens with, "Indoor voice," she sighs, "please," she asked in exaggeration? While placing a cassette player down on the desk.

He chose to ignore her request, but still speaking in a more moderate voice – because he wanted to, not because he did not want another Drakken Goes Ouchy session – asked, "What have you found out?"

Shego presses play, and within seconds the voice of eleven-year-old, Wade Rhodes's voice was projected into the air, "Hey this is Wade, we've got kind of a problem," he began, "Centurion Project is stuck on Kim's wrist." As Wade said this, Drakken's face split into a wide grin, but Wade continued, "I know you're closed for the weekend, but if anybody checks messages, please help us out on this?"

As the recording ended, the evil scientist took on a look of mock-concern, "Our poor little Kimmie, perhaps we can be of some assistance," his grin became even wider than before.

Possible kitchen

Kim walked into her family kitchen to find her father and brothers eating supper, made by their dad, since Anne was not home right now. Her father would be the most difficult to convince to let her go to Monique's party, especially since there were bound to be boys. James T. Possible's powerful mind was capable of many things, calculating the trajectory of a moving object containing thousands of moving parts, all moving at once, built by the lowest bidder, or programming a space probe to find the nearest blackhole, but contemplating the fact that his little Kimmie-cub was on the cusp of womanhood, and is interested in boys was where he had the meltdown. They were eating a hardy stew, since it was a chilly-evening, while her dad was reading the paper, and the tweebs were jabbering on about some science fiction-something-or-other. From behind his paper Kim's father asked, "Hey Kimmie-cub, you, and Ron, all-set for trick-or-treating?"

"Eww, Kim's going trick-or-treating," Tim quipped, "at her age," Jim added.

Kim narrowed her eyes, which gave them a green reflective glow, causing even her brothers to shrink away in their seats, "for your information, Ron decided he wasn't going begging for candy from strangers."

There was a crinkle of paper as Jim Sr., and a clatter of silverware as Jim and Tim Jr., looked up mouths agape. "Is there anything wrong at home with Ron," Kim's father asked, "Tom, Vicky?"

"Did you check to see if that was the real Ron," Jim asked urgently, "he could've been replaced by an alien," Tim added?

Kim answered the questions in the order received, "As far as I know dad, Ron's parents are fine, and I'd know if they weren't," then turning to her brothers replied, "the first thing I checked when Ron told me that, was to see if it truly was my best friend, and according to Wade's scans it was 100% Ron Stoppable." The tweebs looked confused, their big sister never thought like them, "what, I thought he could've been replaced by one of our enemies, the Seniors could, and would do something like that?" Kim continued, "We're volunteering to take kids around trick-or-treating tonight," she told the male members of her family, "so we are trick-or-treating we're just not trick-or-treaters."

Before they could add anything else, Anne burst in, "Look what I've got, boys," she came in carrying what looked like a mannequin, "it's mister Cadaver, we let the med-students practice on him, life-like latex."

The boys jumped up immediately forgetting about Ron and his unusual behavior, and hurried around the table, "you're the best mom," they exclaimed grabbing the dummy.

Kim looked puzzled and Anne knowing her daughter answered her unspoken question, "the boys are helping with the Scare for Care Haunted House at the Hospital."

"So, you two aren't going T-or-Ting either," Kim asked?

"We're so over candy begging," Tim answered, "duh, we're ten," Jim reminded his sister, before heading out.

After they left Anne joined her at the table, "I heard from Vicky at the hospital today, that you and Ron are helping Rabbi Katz and Pastor Smith guide a group of kids around the neighborhood, Kimmie," her mother said, "I'm so proud of you for helping out your community."

Jim nodded, "Yes, that's very responsible of you two."

"You could've knocked me over with a feather when she told me, Ron decided not to go trick-or-treating this year," Anne continued, "for a minute I thought something might be wrong with the Stoppables."

Kim had a small smile, "you're not the only one, mom, you and dad pretty much had the same thought, and Jim and Tim, thought along the same lines as me," Kim had a devious twitch of her eyes, "but as far as I know nothing is wrong with the Stoppables, and that was definitely Ron today. We're going to take the kids around to all the houses in the neighborhood and get them back to the synagogue by nine. After that we're going to swing by Monique's Hallowe'en and get in some facetime with boys and girls our own age."

Jim narrowed his eyes and said, "now, wait a minute."

But Anne spoke over her husband, "that's wonderful honey, thank you for informing us of your plans, so we'll know where you'll be."

Jim sighed, then nodded and added, "yes, and since it is not a school night, you can stay out as late as you want," her father told her, then went on and decided to trust his daughter, "if you decide to spend the night, call us and inform us." Anne placed a hand on his arm massaging it, to comfort him, she knew how hard it was for him to let go.

Kim sighed, "Go infrasonic," she told them. They looked at her weirdly but complied with their daughter's wishes, "what I'm about to tell you is top secret, you can't reveal it to anybody." Anne pressed one of her earrings, and James placed an ear wiig in his ear. When at twelve, your daughter learns that she can communicate in vocal tones beyond human perception, you can do one of two things: forbid her from using such vocal tones, and hope she complies with your wishes, or if you are a scientist you can build a device that adapts her voice to your ears. The two devices take Kim's voice and modulates the frequency up or down the Hertz scale, so her parents can hear their daughter, no matter what frequency she communicates with. "While the party _is_ legitimate, the taking kids for T-or-T is not, here's what's really happening…"

The Skies above Middleton

High above the streets of Middleton, two aircraft being piloted by villains, make their way across the sky. One of the aircraft is quite recognizable, if slightly incongruous, it was a blimp. At the helm, stood Duff Killigan, aka the mad golfer, and the airship he steered matched the tartan design of clan Killigan, a checkered field of red and green squares. He was in Middleton to steal back that, which he rightfully stole: the Centurion Project. He has been travelling from northern Africa, since Team Possible busted his deal for the said Project. He never really believed Drakken would pay him his money, but being the sportsman he was, Duff, thought to give the mad scientist a chance to do the right thing.

In other parts of the sky flew Dr. Drakken and Shego. They were propelled along in a much less traditional flying machine, a flying saucer. The diameter of a large sports car, yet it could move at a sustained velocity of Mach 3.3, it flew from the Caribbean to Colorado in just under an hour, it is Drakken's most successful invention yet.

In the time it took for the villainous duo, Hell since she saw him in Africa, Ron Stoppable has occupied a portion of Shego's thought processes. A nagging question was gnawing at Shego's mind, _why does Kimmie's sidekick look so much like that bastard, Victor Creed? After five years of living in the villain community, she has gathered only a small amount of information on her most hated enemy. He is the father of mutant hater Graydon Creed, through an unknown mother, not much more could be discerned about the family of The Butcher. Once a year, he disappears from wherever he is, and a few days later returns from whence he came as if nothing ever happened. Nobody seems to know where he goes, or what he does, all occurring in the same month, February._ Other than those two indiscernible facts, Shego knows very little about the mutant known as Sabretooth.

Those were just her idle thoughts, much of her time was spent aiding her employer, for the moment, in locating Kim Possible. They were hovering in stealth-mode listening to the signals from cellphones, and similar communications apparatus. They had been up in the air for a few hours, listening to random conversations, the main topic of discussion for teenagers seemed to be which party they were going to tonight. They were practically in hysterics over some new girl, named Monique's party. Who just happened to be Kim Possible's new friend, and began to follow the conversations, until they found the teen hero herself.

"Ah dut tut," Drakken yelled, "I'm getting something."

" _Guess who's garage band is playing at my party," came an excited teen girl's voice?_

 _Then a voice came over the airwaves, "Let me guess," came the voice of Kim Possible, which perked up the listeners, "who is Josh Mankey, Alex" Kim said in a deadpan voice?_

" _Got it in one Miss Possible, that's $200 going to you," said the other teenager._

 _There was a beeping sound coming from Kim's side of the call. "Hold on," Kim said, "Wade, cool costume," she complimented, "wait a second, you're gonna leave your room," Kim asked in astonishment? Over the line a low frequency humming was heard, which interfered only slightly with reception._

 _Drakken adjusted his sound device, which filtered out the noise and the conversation was heard more clearly. "No way," the boy named Wade replied quickly, "I do it all online."_

" _You got an update on this bracelet," Kim asked cutting to the chase?_

" _The update is," he said reticently, "no update. I left them a message at the lab."_

"We know that already," Shego exclaimed impatiently, which earned a shush from her boss.

" _Okay," Kim replied in resignation, "I've got Monique on the phone, page me if anything…"_

Then it fritzed out, and Dr. Drakken grumbled and banged on the device, "Stupid thing, never works when I'm roaming!"

In the zeppelin, Duff Killigan was having similar issues, and ironically had the same response as the not-so-good doctor, "Foul machine, never works when I'm roaming!"

The two villains finally got their respective apparatuses to work in time to hear:

" _So," they heard Kim ask Monique, "Josh Mankey is going to be there," she asked with only mild curiosity in her voice?_

" _Yes Kim," Monique replied, "Josh is going to be here." Then sounding exasperated added, "gee Kim, you could sound a little more enthusiastic, I mean I've heard rumors that you had a crush on Josh Mankey, just last year."_

" _I know, sorry," Kim replied, "you're right, I did have a crush on Josh, and if you'd told me this just nine months ago, then I would be more excited about meeting him at the party," Kimmie admitted. "Now, however, while I look forward to hearing him play, my interest in him is just about how good he is as a musician." There was a beep on call-waiting, and Kim beeped out with, "incoming."_

" _Kim," came a male voice over the line, "I'm about to head over to Temple in a few secs, do you wanna meet me there or walk with me, tonight?"_

" _Ron," Kim exclaimed as her voice rose a few octaves, "I'll meet you there, I want my costume to be a surprise." Every time the two paused to take a breath more interference could be heard, it could only be heard when they were silent, so it did not hinder the villain's ability to hear._

" _Is that thingamabob still on your wrist KP," Ron asked?_

" _Yes, it is, but the Centurion Project won't interfere with my costume," Kim replied._

That's when Drakken and Killigan, shutoff their listening devices, which startled Shego, "what," she had gotten into the topic of conversation a little too much.

Drakken answered her, "We need to start a search for this Josh Mankey, person immediately."

Shego looked puzzled, "Why in the Hell, would you need to do something like that?"

Drakken was listening absentmindedly, as he began typing the name phonetically, into his computer, "weren't you listening, she has a crush on this Josh Mankey, kid…" he was silent as his computer searched for any Mankeys in the area, "ah hah, found it. Josh Mankey, son of Jonathan and Pamela Mankey…" he trailed off as Shego shutoff his monitor.

"Yes, I was listening when Kimmie said she **had** a crush on this Mankey person," Shego informed her boss, "had; while she would come to rescue Josh if he were captured, that's just Kim being a hero, but she could just as easily send somebody in her place. Why waste our efforts going after someone, she may or may not come to rescue, our goal is to get the Centurion Project, when we could capture somebody she would definitely come to rescue herself?"

"Like whom, may I ask," Drew Lipskey questioned, "and how do you know she no longer has a crush on this, Josh Mankey?"

"I didn't just spring up fully grown like a mushroom Doctor D," Shego smiled, "I was a teenage girl at one time, too. I listened to Kim's voice when she spoke about Mankey, he could fall off the face of the planet tomorrow and she would only care as a human-being." Shego turned the monitor around to her and brought the keyboard around to her as well, she flicked it on and began typing, "there was one person in that conversation, that got a real rise out of her when she spoke to them, the one person our little Kimmie would move Heaven and Hell to get back."

"Whom could that be," Drakken wondered, "the other girl she was talking to, or that boy… whose name escapes me?"

Shego continued smiling, "no it wasn't the girl, but the boy who just happens to be Kim's crush is…," she hit enter, and turned the monitor back around to her employer, "Stoppable." Drakken looked at the monitor, and on it was all the public information on Kim Possible's sidekick. It read;

Ronald Victor Stoppable, 15,

1000 Elm Ct., Middleton, CO 81433,

mother: Victoria Raven Stoppable, occupation: Unknown,

father: Thomas Dean Stoppable, occupation: Actuary.

On it was a picture of Ron's yearbook picture, taken before last March. Drakken looked at the picture and got the same grin he got earlier today before coming to Middleton. Duff, however, had the same thought as Drakken, but he did not have a Shego to lead him down a different path, the correct path, so to speak.


	7. Interlude w Ron

X-Possible

Interlude w/ Ron

[Latin translation]

Ron Stoppable, walked out of his house, closing the door, and locking it. He decided to walk the fifteen minutes to Temple, rather than hitch a ride. Tonight, was Hallowe'en, and though he was Jewish, this holiday was his favorite of the year. In times past, he enjoyed it simply for the free candy he would enjoy for a few weeks after the holiday. This year, however, he liked it for a different reason, because this year with so many changes happening to his body, and his need to conceal those changes, Hallowe'en gave him a chance to show-off who he was, beneath the surface. On this night, he could allow his mutation to be seen without risking his, and Kim's public reputation.

Ron's wheat-blonde hair, with crimson-red tiger-stripes in a ridge pattern branching off from a central spine in regular intervals, led from the brow to the nape. Below Ron's hairline, his usual pale skin was darkened into a midnight-blue coloration that if necessary, would aid him to blend in at night. Below his neck was a sleeveless, hooded leather jerkin, with buckles down the front that ended just above his knees, over a long-sleeved, crimson-red, cotton shirt. On the back of the navy-blue leather jerkin, was a pattern much like that of his hair, with crimson-red tiger stripes in a central column, running along his spine, branching horizontally from the neck to the hem, the lower half of his body was also covered with roomy, black King Henry VIII breeches made of cotton twill. They had a wide, fitted waistband with a button-up fly, and on the back, crimson-red lacing through sturdy metal eyes, allowing Ron to adjust them to fit his body. The body of these breeches were pleated into the waistband at the top, and deep cuffs with lacing and cloth loops on the sides. A black pair of fingerless gloves, and boots adorned his hands and feet, respectively. All the items on his person were created and sewn by Ron himself, except for the gloves and boots, which he won at SHIELD's office Christmas party last year in a raffle. The hood even had holes, cut-out to allow his ears to peek out.

Altogether, Ron Stoppable looked downright menacing, and when he raised his hood to cover his hair, it cast his face into darkness. If one were looking at his face, all they would be able to see were two eyes that appeared to be glowing a bright pale-yellow, and his mouth which when opened revealed two pairs of elongated canine-teeth. If asked what he was, he would tell people he was a hobgoblin, and was hungry for human flesh, before winking.

The last two months, since his mutation first manifested, have changed Ronald Victor Stoppable, mentally, and physically. While he still held onto the Essential Ronness, and his life mantra to never be normal, he was not the same carefree Ron of the past. He still liked to hang out at the arcade and play videogames, and just plain geek-out to comics and sci-fi movies, he now understood there was a time and a place for all those activities. He learned to manage his time, so he could still do those activities, but still make sure his schoolwork and training were completed, and it made the activities described above, more special when he got to do them.

Ron's physique has changed dramatically, since he began working out last March, and even more so when he became a mutant. Having a healing factor had its incentives, and its obstacles. He had to work-out twice as hard every day to feel the same burn as the day before. Ron worked out for two hours every morning, the first hour was dedicated to the physical training exercises he learned from Rabbi Katz, and in Boot over the summer. These were designed to increase his strength and endurance. The second hour, was spent doing the training exercises that came from the Mystical Monkey Power memories, which were meant to train his body to be nimble and flexible, as well as strong and tough. KP joined him for the second hour, since her fighting styles required maximum flexibility, and agility, not to mention her cheerleading and gymnastics. Because of Ron's dedication, the shirt that he wore, showed off every muscle and sinew of his torso, but the jerkin concealed everything, except his arms, which had become toned and ready pythons. The garments concealing his lower body, however, were loose and allowed for high freedom of movement.

During the school week, Ron's two-hour work-out schedule was sacrosanct, and to keep his body progressing, Ron wore ankle-and-wrist weights, with a leather weight belt of his own design, to which he could tie washers, increasing or decreasing the weight as he progressed. In the month and a half since he began using the weights, his strength and speed have increased, and these days he was up to 20 pounds on each limb, and 25 pounds on his torso. The weights were so effective, Kim added them to her own work-out, and Ron made a weight belt for Kim. The measuring of her waist made both blush, but she did not otherwise complain.

On weekends and holidays where there was no school or missions, Ron and Kim began to participate in what they have dubbed ironman(woman) training. They began on Saturdays, after Temple, and Sundays, after Church, in addition to the ankle-and-wrist weights, they added a 120lb backpack in full-combat load, minus weapons, and hike, jog, or run to nearby mountains. Once they reached these mountains, they would ascend to various peaks, and once at the top, they would set-up camp, and spend the night.

While they camped, they practiced wilderness survival, their rucks had everything they needed, including rations, but they hardly ever touched them. They spent their time living off the land; fishing, trapping – with special permission from the State of Colorado, and local agencies – and, practicing navigation without modern equipment. It was up in the mountains, away from prying eyes, that allowed them to transform into their true selves, and this is where they sparred. Kim and Ron are the best of friends, and either one would sacrifice his or her life to protect each other, but for three full hours, they did their level best to pummel each other into the ground. They were ruthless, bordering on barbaric with each other, any one who witnessed them fight, and did not know them, would think they hated each other. When in fact they loved each other deeply, which they have always known, it was only the last few months that have led them to question the type of love, they felt for each other. They did not just brawl with each other, they would fight among the trees, and treat the trees like stationary, immobile people. They had a decreasing point system to determine who won, when they damaged a tree they lost half-a-point, toppling one was a whole point.

Their sparring matches taught them a lot about each other and their respective abilities. Kim had the advantage in this game for a few weeks, thanks to her ability to pass through matter by vibrating her atoms, or phasing, between the atoms of the object through which she is moving. When Kim is phasing, she is, for all intents and purposes, intangible. Hence, when attacked, she can shift into a "phased" state (even if she is not at the time passing through an object) to allow incoming projectiles, to pass through her harmlessly. When in her intangible state, every atom that leaves her body, from dead cells, to strands of hair, are also intangible and remain that way indefinitely, rendering Kim undetectable by scent.

Unlike her cousin Kitty, Kim cannot become invisible, though if an object is large enough, she can hide within it. Kim does have better control of her intangibility than Shadowcat, Kim realized early on that even when she was incorporeal not all of her was untouchable. She was not falling through the crust of the Earth, and she could still breathe, meaning air molecules, were still being exchanged in her lungs, and the atoms in her feet and shoes were still corporeal. Through the help of her family and Ron, Kim learned to make the surfaces of her hands tangible, in the split second she would need to strike an opponent, then return to intangibility.

For three weeks, Ron grew frustrated because his best friend would defeat him easily by doing that, he grew a little bitter over it, but she reminded him that he demanded she treat him like an enemy. Then two weeks before Hallowe'en, they were up in the mountains sparring, when a thunderstorm snuck up on them. Kim was having a grand old time, winning as usual, when Ron just stopped, because Kim's hair was suddenly standing up straight. Ron remembered thinking, using his newly honed analytical reasoning skills, _Kim's hair is standing up straight from the static electricity, caused by the lightning._ Kim stopped and tried tamping down her hair. Ron stepped forward to try helping her, but his hand passed right through her, which caused his eyes to widen even further. _She's still untouchable, but the static electricity is still affecting her._ Kim's eyes also widened, because she came from a family of geniuses, she was thinking analytically before she could talk, and she reached the same conclusion as her Ron. She began to smile sweetly, "Ronnie," she said imploringly.

Ron, however, put his index finger over her lips, "Uh uh, we need to honor the sound of the tables turning," then taking her hand he led her back to camp, "we'll see what happens next week, after I do some research, but this is not the best environment for doing electrical experiments." That week, Ron called the Xavier Institute to inform them of the potential danger to one of their teammates, Kitty Pryde. Such was not the case however, because Kitty has taken a direct lightning strike from Storm, herself and was just as intangible to lightning as most things.

When Ron wondered aloud over the dichotomy, Professor X himself, supplied Ron with an answer. At first, he tried via telepathy, but whatever had blocked Cerebro just two months ago, was still preventing the most powerful human mind in the world from entering Ron's own mind, so Charles secured the phone-line but still spoke in Latin. "Primum omnium, gratias ago tibi, quia mister Stoppable vocant moneo nos ut nos nostri teammates ad unum de potential comminatio [First of all, thank you, mister Stoppable for calling us to warn us of a potential threat to one of our teammates]," Professor X began, "optimum ostendit aetatem, et capto rarum in iuventa. [that shows excellent maturity and forethought, a rarity in one so young.]"

Ron scratched the back of his head in modesty, "Tibi grata sint, Professor X, [You're welcome Professor X]," he responded, "Katerinam to Kim est in familiaqui facit ea cognatione mea, et afficit unus assumi potest quicquid quid induit idemque aliae puellae non afficit unus, praesertim cum veniunt ex eodem genere. [Kitty is Kim's family, which makes her my family, and I assumed whatever could affect one intangible girl could affect the other one, especially since they come from the same family.]"

Charles smiled, _hearing that, gives me hope for my dream_ , "Quod non esset rationabile si assumptione de omnibus mechanicis et puellarum vires laboraverunt eadem via, veritas et dixit vere non sciunt quid opera Shadowcat in potestate, [That would be a reasonable assumption if the mechanics of both girls' intangibility worked the same way, truth be told we don't really know how Shadowcat's power works,]" X admitted, "atomorum inter se iustus atomis quidquid agit, vel ad tempus ex corpore quantum instar effosso modo fieri potest. [she just moves her atoms, between the atoms of whatever object, or objects are moving through her body, almost like quantum tunneling, only we can see it happening.]"

Ron had a light bulb go off in his mind, "Vel Kim micat atomorum eam reddita atomis circa aliquid vel res phasing in corpore fit fulminis et unde etiam phased. [alternatively, Kim, vibrates her atoms and passes them around the atoms of any object, or objects phasing through her body, which is why lightning affects her, even when phased.]" Charles shakes his head, he had heard from Hank and Logan about how, Mr. Stoppable had only begun to buckle down on his schoolwork last year, after an eye-opening mission against an old enemy, and if this was what nearly eight-months of hard work could produce in the young man, then his potential is truly off the charts. He could be a great asset, if nurtured properly, or a great enemy, if his potential were harnessed by the wrong hands. "Ego sum iens ut habeant ad investigationibus propriis electrophorus electricus, et facultatem temptare curru suo electricity producendo, [I'm going to have to research electric eels, and try to harness their electricity producing ability,]" Ron mused, then added, "[debimus numquam acquirere an electrical orare hostium.] and pray we never gain an electrical enemy."

For the rest of the week, Ron researched organisms that produced electricity, and learned about several that used what was known as electrolocation. He learned how electric eels produced electricity from three separate organs. He called in a favor or two, from several scientists who specialized in these animals, and by Wednesday, learned to morph his physiology and adapt it to the human body type. He grew all three organs along his arms and altered the dermis of his skin to that of an electric eel and practiced producing current along his arms. By Friday, he could hold a light bulb in his hands and activate it. They got home and began preparing for the next day, but Fridays were official Ron nights, so they spent their time together as usual. It was after dinner when Ron asked, "KP," she looked at her Ron, "would you mind performing an experiment with me?"

"Uh, sure Ron," Kim answered in curiosity, "what did you have in mind?" At the word experiment, all the Possibles and Hank – who had taken to regularly visit his cousin James, since they were rarely together and talk science – allowed their scientific curiosity, to enter their eyes.

"I want you to go intangible," Ron told his best friend, for whom, he was beginning to develop feelings.

"Okay Ron," Kim accepted with apprehension, but not a little bit of curiosity herself. She closed her eyes and concentrated, then opened them and walked through a wall or two to demonstrate her current state. Kim came over to stand in front of her Ron, as she seemed to think of him more and more lately, not as a best friend, but as hers. "What now," she asked?

Ron reverted to his true form – the form he was in tonight as he walked to the synagogue – then, morphed his right arm into the configuration he has been working on all week. Outwardly, it looked the same, as there was no need to alter cellular pigment, merely texture, form, and function. His left arm remained the same, as he extended it and passed it through Kim's body. Ron's left hand stopped inside Kim's right shoulder to make sure she remained intangible. Then extending his right hand, he produced the smallest current his newly configured physiology can do, and when he went to touch Kim's other shoulder… he could. The eyes of everyone in the room were wide in surprise, he moved both arms up and down Kim's arms. The left moved down through her right arm, while his right arm, moved down her left arm, and she could feel it as if she was in her normal corporeal state. That Saturday, they made their normal trek into the mountains, and set up camp. They had their usual sparring session, but with Ron's new adaptation he was now evenly matched with Kim, her intangibility, no longer offered her any protection from, her Ron.

The fighting skillset was just one aspect of Ron's life that has changed. A week before this semester started, Barkin showed up at the Stoppable residence to talk to him about his schedule. "I've admired your improvements for the last few months Stoppable," the vice-principle of Middleton High told him, "it seems you're beginning to take your education seriously, and I admire your determination."

"Thank you, Mr. Barkin," Ron returned in a subdued voice, it was just one week after the loss of Rufus.

Barkin eyeballed him, then went on with the reason for his visit, "That being said," he continued pulling out Ron's schedule, "you have too many language classes scheduled for this semester." Ron threw a puzzled looked at the educator, who nodded before going on, "Middleton ISD, likes to produce well-rounded graduates, so when they leave and go out into the world, they're ready for anything that comes their way. We like for our students to take a broad range of subjects, instead of specializing in just one or two things. For that reason, we only allow students to take two language classes, you're welcome to continue with Latin, but you chose three others for your electives, you need to choose one to keep or another altogether. Here's the list of language classes we're offering this semester," Barkin said to his student before handing him a list. The list read: Arabic, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

Ron's hand seemed to move on its own, his finger coming to rest on Japanese, and the voice in his mind rang out for the first time. _You're going to need this one soon, there's only so much I can teach you from in here._ Ron thought, _my mind hasn't led me wrong yet, but no more moving my body without permission._ "I'll keep Latin, and take Japanese, me and KP, get called there quite a lot," he clarified his reason, "Nakasumi is a frequent client of ours."

Barkin actually smiled, "that class is new this semester, and is being taught by one of my old spec-ops sergeants, the very _best_ person you want on your side when you're in a bind." Barkin one-lined three subjects on the schedule in pen, then wrote in the new subject. "That just leaves two more periods that need to be filled," he said, while pulling a booklet from his jacket pocket.

Ron perused the material in front of him, "with all the traveling I do it'd be irresponsible not to take Humanities," Ron said aloud, and Barkin wrote in the subject, "and Electronic/Computer Technology, took an aptitude test this summer for SHIELD and Global Justice, it showed that I had an aptitude for tech."

"Really," Barkin asked while writing in the selection, "that's surprising."

Ron laughed, "to you and me both. I'm nowhere near Wade or Tony Stark's genius, but definitely college-level, and with all the doomsday devices me and KP take down, I should at least know what I'm doing."

Barkin actually laughed at that, then stood up, "Well, I'll see you at school Stoppable," then returning to his drill instructor demeanor ended it with, "I'M STILL GONNA KEEP AN EYE ON YOU, TO MAKE SURE YOU DON'T START BACKSLIDING!"

Ron continued to get excellent grades in all his classes, but it was his E/C tech. class in which he excelled the most. It was taught by Ron's second favorite teacher, a man called Mr. Forge. Who preferred his students to just call him Forge. He was a Native American of the Cheyenne Nation, who had an artificial leg and hand, that looked beyond state of the art. He was tall, and well-built, with dark hair, that was long and kept in a pony-tail, with a handlebar moustache. He was normally dressed in all black, western-style clothing, except for a brown, fringed deer-skin jacket. He believed in the hands-on approach to learning, while there was some theory taught, he thought the best way to understand the theory was to practice it.

Forge did not give assignments, he assigned projects that would be worked on for the rest of the semester. Ron and his class were to develop their own tech. Here was where Ron's 'never be normal' philosophy showed itself, because while most of the class worked on exotic, cool looking machines, Ron harkened back to the first time he and Kim, met Drakken and Shego. When they stole Professor Akari's Cybernetic Tick. Ron bought the schematics from the Bug Doc, as Ron liked to call him, to keep as a memento, he never thought he would actually try replicating the tick. At the time, Ron did not even know if cybernetic insects would be useful. Until yesterday, when he placed one on Shego after his fight with her, when he grabbed her by the hair. The tick he placed on her transmitted a GPS signal that could be located anywhere in the world, except underground or in the deep ocean, within 20 feet of the signal.

Ron came out of his reverie when his Ronn-watch alerted him to a signal approaching his location. It was the signal he got from the tick when it was within one hundred yards of Ron's watch. Ron's ears began to pick up a high frequency harmonic, from a jet-engine configured for silent running. Silent for anybody, except creatures who could hear in frequencies below 20hz and above 20kHz, like most dogs and cats, and Ron, Kim, Hank, and Logan. Ron looked around, but saw nothing, then from above him dropped Shego, landing in front of the teenaged boy. "Time to go sidekick, you're coming with us," Shego quipped in a self-assured grin.

In the past, Ron would have tried running as fast as he could in the opposite direction, not any more. Ron lowered his face until only his glowing eyes were visible as they peaked out from the hood. Ron raised the Ronn-watch to his mouth and keyed it, "Dire Wolf to Rouge," he said in a growl, "I've got Trick-or-Treaters."


	8. 006: Treat

X-Possible

Treat

[Russian Translation]

 _Thought_

" _high/low freq dialogue"_

Texting and titles

* * *

This morning…

Kim's eyes narrowed, when she heard her arch nemesis make a pass at her best friend, _Did Shego just make a pass at my Ron?_ "Let's go Ron, we've got things to do back home," and so grabbing him by the hand, she drags him out of the restaurant. Kim and Ron, dashed out of the restaurant as it came crumbling down around the two villains, and Shego. They skidded to a stop, turned, and looked back at the restaurant, luckily nobody was hurt too badly as there had been just enough time for a full evacuation. Kim looked back just as she heard Drakken throwing a tantrum. Kim smiled as she heard him go nearly apoplectic in impotent rage. "At least he's alive, wouldn't want his death on my conscience." Kim was thankful to the Lord, that none of her missions, thus far, caused any deaths, though she knew that someday soon, that may change.

"I'm with you there KP," Ron agreed, as he too understood, intellectually, that on missions to save the world, the lives of billions rested in their hands. A few lives compared to multitudes, even their own, could become a small price to pay, for the right to remain free. Ron brought his watch up and pressed a button, but instead of Wade's face, the mug of an old soldier filled the screen, "Uncle Nick?"

"That's Colonel Fury, when in the field soldier," The Unseen ordered his nephew, "I've got your ride, meet it five mikes north of your position in thirty minutes."

"Whatever you say Uncle Nick," Ron responded, and heard a sigh over his Ronn-watch, "we'll be there, but we're only gonna need twenty." Signing off with his surrogate uncle, Ron turned to his best friend, "well, you heard one of our CO's, KP," he said, dropping into running stance, "let's book."

"I'm with you Ron," Kim replied, and together running in step, sprinted toward their destination.

Five mikes north, was out in the middle of nowhere at night in the Saharan desert. Thank God, they both had night vision built in, or they would never have made their pickup point. As it happened they were ten minutes earlier than Nick ordered, giving them enough time to scout the area as they were taught in Boot, for any signs of trouble, or surveillance, SHIELD is a covert agency after all. Twenty-nine minutes after Nick's call, the skies around the drop-point were as empty as always, exactly one-minute later a slightly modified Boeing C-17 Globemaster III military transport aircraft, filled the skies above Team Possible.

Over the years, after getting rides from all kinds of pilots, and aircraft, Kim, and Ron have become quite familiar with a wide variety of them, and Globemasters were no exception. They noted the lines and features of the aircraft, which had all the common features of the Boeing C-17, with an additional pair of engines and half-length wings, located at the tail section of the fuselage, below the standard, elevated tail section. The craft came in for a landing, and as it did, the six Pratt & Whitney F117-PW-100 turbofan engines, tipped themselves-up vertically, killing forward motion, and coming to a landing a hundred yards in front of them. At the back, the cargo bay doors were open, and as the plane touched down, the engines tipped into their proper configuration, and the plane continued forward, as a woman stood at the opening, and beckoned to them.

Team Possible began running, as soon as wheels-down, covering the gap between them and the craft efficiently. Ron and Kim, were having no trouble keeping up with the plane, and stepped up into the cargo-hold. Just as they did, the bay doors, began to close. They turned around to see the woman, or more correctly the young woman, not much older than them, if appearances were to be believed, standing there, arms crossed under her womanly bust, _not that I notice such things especially on_ her _, she'd kill me then tell my mom, who'd also kill me._ Ron began to grin as he looked at the woman, because he knew her, she was the first girl he had a crush on, even before he liked girls.

She stood two inches taller than Kim, had red, almost scarlet hair, and wore a dark, synthetic, leather-like, form-fitting, stretch fabric body suit. Wrapped around her wrists, were metallic gauntlets, that resembled a series of tubes, which Ron knew contained the tools of her trade as an assassin, and spy, including her Widow's bite. The belt on her waist carried her weapons, two collapsible, electroshock batons in back, two pistols on her hips, and wore a dual shoulder-holster, which carried another two pistols. They were staring at one of the most talented spies and lethal assassins in the world, Natalia Alianovna Romanova, also known as, Black Widow, considered one of their most dangerous operatives, by KGB and SHIELD, and…

"…Auntie Nat," Ron said with a blush, before remembering his uncle's call for professionalism, popped to attention, and saluted, "Team Possible reporting as ordered Black Widow."

The grin that had been forming on her lips, died when he went formal, with a grim expression she stomped over to the teenager and grabbed him by the collar of his turtleneck, bringing him down to meet her eyes. By now, Ron had reached the six-foot mark in height. "You don't ever have to be so formal with me, Ronnie," she said, in slightly accented English to him eye-to-eye, "no matter what happens you're still my malen'kiy brat, [little brother]," she then kissed him on the cheek.

"Sorry, starshaya sestra [big sister]," Ron replied with a goofy grin, "but the Colonel was being extra authoritative tonight, insisted I call him by rank, I ignored him of course, but only a fool ignores Black Widow. So, I thought you might want some of the same professionalism." Ron brought his arms up and enfolded, his aunt in all but blood, into his arms, in a hug, and kissed her forehead. They stepped away from each other smiling then turning, Widow walked over to her friend, looking her in the eye as well, "Hey Kim," she said hugging the other girl, "you keeping him safe," Romanova asked?

"I do my best Nat," Kim nodded, "but there's only so much one woman can do," she added smiling. "Actually, on this last mission he took on Shego, by himself and was able to knock her down for a brief moment."

The older woman turned a proud smile on her nephew, who scratched the back of his head modestly. "I think it was mostly luck, and because she made me angry by confusing me with my grandfather." Then looking around the plane, felt the craft begin a steady climb, as they made their way into the passenger area, "so, this is the Bus. I must say its not everyday Team Possible, gets such first-class transportation, and a ride from SHIELD's most dangerous agent, or did you just happen to be in the area?"

"No, I didn't just happen along, I was tasked to this area to get you," Widow told him, "we did some checking on the Centurion Project," she said pointing to the bracelet on Kim's wrist. They reached several seats and took them, with Kim and Ron sitting together while the Avenger sat facing them.

Kim looked down at her wrist, at the bracelet on her right arm, "what about it," Kim asked?

"The company who invented it," Widow told them, "aren't the ones who want it back."

Ron looked confused, "what do you mean, sestra [sister]," he asked for clarification, "we did our due diligence by making sure this wasn't some rival entity looking to pirate another company's invention?"

"That's right, we even had Wade hack into their computers to see if the company who hired us was actually the one who invented it," Kim added, "they had the patents, and the early concept design work, which from being around scientists and inventors all my life is proof-positive that they invented this thing," Kim finished by waving her arm for emphasis. "We even used GJ/SHIELD resources, to make sure we covered all reasonable bases."

Natalia Romanova held-up a placating hand, "we know, but its not your due diligence that's coming into question, when I say the company that invented it don't want it back I mean just that. In fact, the theft of this product is viewed as a boon to their business, apparently the Centurion Project was such an abysmal failure and waste of money that, having it stolen would be the only thing that would allow them to see any profit, because while deemed a liability, it was still heavily insured."

Ron smacked his forehead, then dragged his hand down his face in consternation, "Don't tell me we walked into some corporate insurance fraud scheme!"

"It's not that either," Widow responded, "we asked Global Justice to look into it, but if there was an attempt to defraud an insurance company, there was no evidence of it."

"Then who contacted us," Kim asked bewildered?

"That's the 64-thousand-dollar question," Nat replied. They were all silent for a few moments, then Black Widow spoke up, after letting her news sink in, "is it true your contract usually states, that until you turn it over to the rightful owner/client, you are considered owners of the object you retrieved."

They absently nodded, "it gives us discretion over the object, and it allows us to make one last attempt, to determine if the object truly is going back to its rightful owner," Kim answered.

"Then you could sell it, right now," Black Widow asked cocking her head to the right, and stared at them steadily?

"Yes," Kim said absently, "we probably could, and should. We would possibly even earn more by selling it ourselves," Kim looked at Ron, who seemed lost in thought. "At least, with us we won't just sell it to anybody, I'm sure Stark Industries R&D would like to have it to augment their Ironman armor."

"Aside from the investigation," Widow began, "which is largely an academic exercise for me," she added, "I've also been tasked with making an offer for the device." Team Possible quirked one eyebrow each in mild surprise, "SHIELD would pay double for the Project, than what your contract states."

Kim was about to open her mouth to reply, but her Ron beat her to it, "Unfortunately, we cannot do that," Ron told his aunt, "we're still under contract with our current client." Kim nodded, that was exactly what she was going to say, they've been together so long they were beginning to think alike.

Widow's eyes widened, "but, the parent company who invented it don't want it back," she reminded them.

"Maybe," Kim agreed, "we still have a client out there somewhere, and until he or she reveal themselves we are still obligated to them. When they reveal themselves, that's when we'll decide if we should sell their object/intellectual property back to them or keep it, and either destroy it, or sell it to a third party, and for consideration we give our client a quarter of the proceeds for the sell."

Ron was nodding along with standard Team Possible policy, then added something else, "besides I think we'll want to hold onto it for at least the weekend."

The women looked at Ron in perplexity, "why," Kim asked, though Nat just nodded?

"Look, we know of at least two, maybe three parties who want this thing," Ron began explaining, then turning to his big sister, "if your right and we're being played, this gives us an opportunity to see who else wants it."

Natalia spoke up with her hands on her knees, "how do you propose we do that, brat [brother]?"

"It's the weekend, I'd say it's the perfect time to go fishing," the tiger-haired blonde grinned.

* * *

Trick-or-Treating

"Time to go sidekick, you're coming with us," Shego quipped in a self-assured grin.

In the past, Ron would have tried running as fast as he could in the opposite direction, not any more. Ron lowered his face until only his glowing eyes were visible as they peaked out from the hood. Ron raised the Ronn-watch to his mouth and keyed it, "Dire Wolf to Rouge," he said in a growl, "I've got Trick-or-Treaters." _Two ways I can play this: with defiance or compliance. If I defy them and try to fight Shego, I would be vulnerable to Drakken, and whatever weapons are on that craft. Even worse,_ Ron looks around as he notices some trick or treaters already making their rounds, _he could turn them on the kids. Compliance on the other hand makes me a Trojan Horse,_ "I'm coming Shego."

Ron walked forward calmly, which surprised the green villainess, because in the past he would have either attempted to run or make some comment to make them drop their guard. Now, he simply walked over as if the choice to go with them or not, was totally his decision. He looked her in the eye as he walked by her, there was neither fear nor animosity in his gaze, as if his capture, was just a means to an end for him. They boarded the hovercraft and sat him in the back seat. He held out his wrists to her, "do you wish to bind me?"

His attitude was unnerving to Shego, it was as if capturing him was a minor inconvenience. "Uh, sure, Stoppable," Shego replied, as she took out a pair of handcuffs and placed them on his wrists. He tested them to see how much give they had, then settled his hands in his lap, and grinned at her, his canines – looking almost like fangs – glinting in the moonlight. Ron's eyes seemed to blaze like two amber-gold moons, when he turned to look at her. His gaze was not like prisoner to guard, it was more like, like work buddies from a rival firm.

Drakken, of course was oblivious to Stoppable's change in demeanor, so while Shego was getting the prisoner situated, her boss put the hovercar in gear and sent it soaring into the sky. Once they were high enough, and at a safe cruising altitude, Drakken placed the car into hover mode and went back to gloat to his prisoner. He found the boy whose name always escapes him, sitting in the back and Shego doing her job and watching him like a hawk. "Well-well-well, if it isn't Kim Possible's sidekick…" he began then paused as if trying to remember something, "whose name I can't remember."

"Well-well-well, if it isn't Drew Lipskey, the college dropout who can't build a robot," Ron quips back to the mad scientist. "He also can't seem to remember small details like his enemy's name," he adds, "my name Drew, is Ronald Victor Stoppable, or you can call me by the codename I was given by SHIELD, Dire Wolf."

Drakken gnashes his teeth, "My name is Dr. Drakken, and I can so build a robot!"

"Then what happened with the Bebes, Lipskey," Ron asked?

"That was just my point, they worked, and they were perfect," Drakken argued, "too perfect!"

"Whatever, Drew," Ron said while lifting his hand up, palm facing the mad scientist, which handcuffed as he was, lifted his other hand slightly as well, "talk to the hand."

Drakken gnashes his teeth harder and clenches his fist, "Stop calling me Drew, I have given up that name, I am now Dr. Drakken."

"When you remember my name, Lipskey," Ron says defiantly, turning his head away in the direction of Shego, "I'll call you any name you want, but until then, your Drew Lipskey to me." Shego was listening to the exchange, the moment it began she knew exactly what Stoppable was doing. He was saying things to keep her boss off balance, stalling Drakken. Then she remembered what she heard during the exchange.

"Wait, did you just say SHIELD," Shego asked in urgency?

Leaning closer to the criminal, Ron whispered in her ear, "that's right, Michelle," Stoppable replied to the green skinned woman, "Kim and me, went through a basic training camp over the summer, operated jointly by Global Justice and Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate, better known in some places as SHIELD." Shego's eyes widen, nobody was supposed to know her real name, her home was destroyed by the very same comet that gave her, her powers. Before Shego could do more than gasp, Ron suddenly gave himself the strength of an adult chimp, broke the handcuffs which widened his arms, and then brought his hand down in a chop to the back of Shego's head, knocking her out.

Ron returned his strength to his normal levels as he stood and walked over to the not-so-good doctor. Ron's shadow loomed over the hapless Drew Lipskey, who stared into the brightly shining eyes of the teenager he had just captured. The look Ron Stoppable gave him was the look of predator to prey, Ron drew close and whispered into Drakken's ear, "say my name."

"S-s-s-Stoppable; Ron Stoppable," Drew Lipskey stammered before he promptly fainted.

Ron stood up with a self-satisfied smirk on his lips, before grinning and yelling out at the top of his lungs, **"BOOYAH!"**

* * *

Earlier tonight in the Possible family kitchen

Kim sighed, "Go infrasonic," she told them. They looked at her weirdly but complied with their daughter's wishes, "what I'm about to tell you is top secret, you can't reveal it to anybody." Anne pressed one of her earrings, and James placed an ear wiig in his ear. When at twelve, your daughter learns that she can communicate in vocal tones beyond human perception, you can do one of two things: forbid her from using such vocal tones, and hope she complies with your wishes, or if you are a scientist you can build a device that adapts her voice to your ears. The two devices take Kim's voice and modulates the frequency up or down the Hertz scale, so her parents can hear their daughter, no matter what frequency she communicates with. "While the party is legitimate, the taking kids for T-or-T is not, here's what's really happening."

"On the way back from Africa this morning, we were contacted by one of SHIELD's top agents, Ron's aunt codenamed, Black Widow," Kim told her parents. "She informed us that the company who developed the device known as the Centurion Project, was not the one who wanted it back. They are not our client, in other words," Kim clarified, "we don't know who our client is, and for all we know could be another villain trying to acquire the device for their own ends."

"Why wouldn't the inventors want their invention back," her dad asked, "wouldn't they take a loss?"

"From what our source told us, the inventing party view it as a failed project, which cost the company millions," Kim responded, "and the only way they'll make a profit is through the insurance on the device."

This time Kim's mother spoke up, "your client, could very well be the insurance company, hoping not to make a huge payout."

Kim thought, "hm, I hope you're right mom, our standard contract fee is 1% what the object is worth, and the client said the Centurion project was worth at least five million. Since, we own it, buying it back from us would be cheaper than paying-out such a huge amount, even with the overnight fees we charge."

"Then why lie to us about going trick-or-treating," Jim asked barely masking his disapproval of being lied to?

"We're using the device as bait in a sting operation, to see which criminals would be interested in getting their hands on the device," Kim explained. "Ron calls it 'Going Fishing,' but SHIELD gave it an operation name, they're calling it, 'Operation: Trick-or-Treat.'"

Later in Kim's bedroom…

Kim's family had already left for the Scare-For-Care Haunted House, her dad was somewhat mollified about Kim's dishonesty. Kim's dad was honest to a fault and had difficulty understanding the need for deception, and double-dealing, which in his world of rocketry and science, was unnecessary because to a scientist, even a null result was still a result. Anne understood a little better than her husband, about not telling the whole truth. As a doctor and surgeon, she had to walk a fine line between telling her patient or their family, the whole truth about a procedure and telling them the truth that they could handle.

Right now, Kim was alone in her bedroom talking to her new girlfriend, Monique, "Guess who's garage band is playing at my party," came an excited teen girl's voice?

Then a voice came over the airwaves, "Let me guess," came the voice of Kim Possible, "who is Josh Mankey, Alex," Kim said in a deadpan voice?

"Got it in one Miss Possible, that's two hundred dollars going to you," said the other teenager.

There was a beeping sound coming from Kim's side of the call. "Hold on," Kim said, "Wade, cool costume," she complimented, "wait a second, you're gonna leave your room," Kim asked in astonishment?

Over the line a low frequency message was sent to her in Wade's voice, _"I'm reading several taps on your phone line, Kim," Wade told her with a nefarious grin, "it seems your bait is getting a nibble."_ "No way," the boy named Wade replied quickly, "I do it all online."

" _Think you can identify the tappers, and trace them back," Kim asked?_ "You got an update on this bracelet," Kim asked cutting to the chase?

" _Yes, I can," Wade replied, "the question is, should I, because when I do it'll knock out the taps for a few seconds, and it might alert them that we're onto them."_ "The update is," he said reticently, "no update. I left them a message at the lab."

" _Go ahead and do it, we'll see who really wants this thing, and how gullible they are," Kim replied in low freq._ "Okay," Kim replied in resignation, "I've got Monique on the phone, page me if anything changes."

" _There were about five taps in all on the phone, two led overseas in opposite directions, one to Eastern Europe, somewhere in Poland, and the other seemed to lead to Asia, Japan specifically, I can't go any further than that with those lines. There were three more which have remained domestic, one of which led me into a DIA switchboard, given a little more time I'll be able to track that one back to its source, but the two which concern me the most, were local, and mobile, so mobile in fact they're probably in Middleton airspace as we speak."_ Wade did not have to say who he thought was on the other end of the line, one or more villains had their own aircraft.

" _Thanks Wade, keep on that DIA tap, and if you find the source, give what you got to Global Justice,"_ Kim asked him, _"it seems some people in our government don't like following rules. As GJ-SHIELD agents our conversations are considered beyond the scope of national security, our oversight comes directly from the directors of the two agencies that employ us."_

"On it Kim," Wade replied in normal freq, "and I'll check Ron's line too, just to be safe."

Kim smiled, "and vibe me on the Kimm-watch if any of the taps are re-established, please and thank you?"

"Will do, Kim," Wade replied smiling, "Wade, out."

"So," Kim asked Monique, "Josh Mankey is going to be there," she asked with only mild curiosity in her voice? She felt two vibrations coming from her Kimm-watch.

"Yes Kim," Monique replied, "Josh is going to be here." Then sounding exasperated added, "gee Kim, you could sound a little more enthusiastic, I mean I've heard rumors that you had a crush on Josh Mankey, just last year."

"I know, sorry," Kim replied, "you're right, I did have a crush on Josh, and if you'd told me this just nine months ago, then I would be more excited about meeting him at the party," Kim Possible admitted. "Now, however, while I look forward to hearing him play, my interest in him is just about how good he is as a musician." There was a beep on call-waiting, and Kim beeped out with, "incoming."

"Kim," came her Ron's voice over the line, "I'm about to head over to Temple in a few secs, do you wanna meet me there or walk with me, tonight?" _"Kim, Wade told me about the taps, he didn't find any on my line, or my mom's, seems I'm still under the world's radar."_

"Ron," Kim exclaimed as her voice rose a few octaves, as she blushed subconsciously, "I'll meet you there, I want my costume to be a surprise." _"I'm going to be morphed tonight, I'll explain any height and strength change as a Wade hook-up,"_

"Is that thingamabob still on your wrist KP," Ron asked? _"Coolio, we both get to be ourselves, that's why I love Hallowe'en, you can be as freaky as you want, and just explain it away as your costume," then scratching his head Ron added, "I like seeing you in your true beauty, KP."_

"Yes, it is, but the Centurion Project won't interfere with my costume," Kim replied, and blushed even redder at his compliment. _"Thank you, Ronnie," she said sincerely, "and I like seeing your true form too, it gets my heart racing when I see you in your natural form. It looks so dangerous and menacing, especially when your eyes glow."_ Kim felt her Kimm-watch vibe again and looking at it, saw a message that read: taps gone, Kim; from Wade. Switching back to normal freq, Kim continued, "Wade says, the taps on my phone are gone."

"They must have gotten what they wanted," Ron surmised. "Anyway, I'm going to call my costume, a hobgoblin from folk lore," he told her, "how are you going to pass yourself off?"

Kim fingered her chin, "I'm thinking space alien, there's an example of cat-like aliens called Talz, in the novel series for Sun Conflicts (Star Wars)," Kim answered.

"Oh, that's a goodun, too bad I didn't think of that before I made my costume, or I'd do the same thing," Ron enthused. Ron paused for a minute, then went on in high freq, _"I placed one of my ticks on Shego this morning and keyed it to my watch, and Wade also has the tick frequency."_ Then continuing in normal freq, Ron added, "Whatever happens, please stick to the plan, I'll alert you if I notice any activity," then in a beseeching voice, "please do the same Kim, and have faith in me, just as I do in you?"

"I won't promise anything Ronnie," Kim returned in a gentle voice, "regarding the plan, I may need to call an audible, we both will, no battle plan ever survives first contact with the enemy, I've learned that much from history class." Kim's voice becomes sultry, "as for having faith in you, my Ronnie," Kim's voice caresses Ron's ears, "you don't even have to ask, the day I lose faith in you, my Ronnie, will be the day, I die." Then in her mind thought, _If only I had the courage to tell you, I'm starting to feel things for you, that I have never felt for any man, ever._ "I'll see you at Monique's tonight, when it is done," was all Kim Possible added to her declaration.

Ron felt himself blush at her tone of voice, and his face heated, "We'll arrive together KP, or not at all."

Kim smiled and then noticing the call waiting, "Gotta go Ron, Monique's still waiting on the other line," she informed her best friend, who in her heart was fast becoming more to her.

"Okay, KP," Ron conceded, "I'll talk to you later."

"Bye," Kim called, then clicked over to Monique, "hey Monique, sorry I was talking to Ron, but I've gotta go get ready myself shortly."

* * *

Kim was walking out of her house when her Kimm-watch chirped, _"Dire Wolf to Rouge, I've got Trick-or-Treaters."_ Kim's pulse quickened when she heard that, her Ronnie has made first contact with the fish, then she heard, _"I'm coming Shego."_ Kim tapped her watch and brought up Wade's face, "Ron's made first contact, and it's with Shego," Kim said making a conscious effort to control her tone of voice, "Ron said he placed one of the ticks he's been developing on Shego this morning, said you'd have the freq and be able to track it." Kim looked around her neighborhood and did not have to wonder why her Ron did not put up a fuss over going with her arch-nemesis. She saw the trick-or-treaters going from house to house, and if they were out on her street, they were out on Elm, _oh Ronnie, you always put other's before yourself, which is one of the reasons, I think I was beginning to fall for you, even before the Wannaweep sitch, I just never realized it._

"Yes, I do Kim," Wade's voice was heard saying, and a tapping was heard as he brought up the frequency of the tracking tick, he also brought up the frequency of Ron's Ronn-watch and they both heard the exchange between captor and prisoner _. "…do you wish to bind me,"_ they heard Ron's voice ask? Those who knew him as well as they did would notice, despite his calm sounding voice, Ron truly was afraid, he was just doing his best to mask it. _"Uh, sure, Stoppable,"_ came Shego's reply, as the jingle of handcuffs was heard. They could hear the uncertainty of Shego's voice, then they heard the sound of wind accelerating. "Cool, Ron programed the tick, to not only transmit his location along two axes, but all three, plus a time component as well," Wade told her, then as the sounds of acceleration ceased. "Hmm, from these coordinates I'd say Ron is one hundred feet above his original position, which was just outside of his house."

"I guess, Ron is on his own for now," Kim concluded, "will you send his location to mother hen, they are supposed to have air assets in place to assist in the event of an airborne sortie." They heard Ron ridiculing Drakken about what to call him, _leave it to Ron to insult his captors,_ then Ron mentioned their SHIELD-GJ status, and they could hear the apprehension and astonishment when Ron called Shego by her true name, then they heard the sound of metal being ripped apart. They heard Shego grunt, then the sound of a body hitting the hovercar deck. Ron's footsteps sounded ominous even to the listeners, as he marched over to the hapless scientist, and over the airwaves they heard, _"say my name,"_ even Kim and Wade shivered at his voice.

" _S-s-s-Stoppable; Ron Stoppable,"_ Dr. Drakken stammered before they heard another body hitting the floor. Wade looked up at Kim, "I didn't hear the sound of a blow," then he asked, "what happened?"

Kim smirked knowing how spineless her biggest pain in the ass could be, "knowing Drakken, he probably fainted." Just then out of the night sky and over the airwaves they heard, _**"BOOYAH!"**_

Before they could celebrate any further however, Wade's voice broke in, "Kim, I'm getting a hit on the site." Kim looked at Wade who went on, "It's from Duff Killigan," then typing a series of commands the mad golfer's face came on screen.

"Hello, Kim Possible," Duff began with a devious smile, "yeh've gut somethin' uh mine," he said in a sweet voice before continuing this into a growl, "an' uh wan' et back," then panned to a wide shot showing Josh Mankey tied at the back of the blimps cockpit, "unless yeh don' mind nuthin' hap'nin teh yer crush."

Kim was confused for a moment, _crush on Josh, that's so five minutes ago._ "Wade, do you have a fix on his location," Kim asked the eleven-year-old?

"Yes, but it's not like he's hiding, he cannot make the exchange with you if he goes into hiding," Wade answers.

"Good, get Ron to try piloting that hovercar here to get me," Kim ordered.

* * *

Somewhere over Middleton airspace

Team Possible were in the air over Middleton, they had long since located Killigan's blimp, which was not exactly a stealth aircraft. They were trailing the dirigible in stealth mode, and just to be on the safe-side were hovering just below the cabin. When Ron had brought the hovercar in to land outside her house, SHIELD Operatives moved in to arrest, Drakken and Shego who had returned to consciousness by then, Kim filled him in on the sitch, including her bewilderment over Killigan calling Josh, her crush.

Now they were getting ready to assault the airship, and were just now concluding their discussion, it had only been a few minutes since leaving the scene. "You mean you really don't have a crush on Josh anymore," Ron was asking? There seemed to be a note of hope in Ron's voice that Kim did _not_ miss, yet being in mission mode as she was, refused to allow it to interfere with her mission.

"Seriously Ron," Kim answered, "the crush on Josh, was so five minutes ago. I've moved on to more important things," Kim said, then continued in her mind, _to my feelings for you, which are so much stronger than just a crush._

Ron grinned from ear-to-ear, "Okay KP," and he did not try to hide his enthusiasm, "let's rescue Josh Mankey!" Ron maneuvers the hovercraft to right below the cabin. Kim places her hands on the underside of the cabin, and let's her feline tactile sense tell her everything she needs to know happening within. Duff was manning the helm and venting to himself about how daft the lass is, to risk giving up the game for a crush. _If it was for the one person I truly loved Duff,_ she thought looking over at the back of the blonde, carefully piloting the hovercraft under the blimp, _I wouldn't even bat an eyelash, because those you love are worth any sacrifice._

Getting her head back in the game she called out via low freq, _"Ready Ron,"_ Kim asked her Ron!?

Ron answered with a thumbs-up, and in the same freq, _"Ready KP,"_ while not taking his eyes off the instruments, or the proximity of the floor of the blimp cabin!

At Ron's confirmation, Kim leapt through the floor of the blimp, phasing through instantly and when she landed, only the soles of her feet were tangible. She was right behind Duff and with very little weight, landed quietly behind the deranged Scotsman. Of course, Josh Mankey gasped, when she came through the floor, which caught Duff's attention, "Whut d'yeh wan' now, laddie," he said turning around, and his eyes became as wide as dinner plates when he saw the anthropomorphic state of Kim Possible? He did not even have time to scream out as Kim grabbed his tartan sash and lifted him up, with her lion times ten strength, and rammed his head, sharply into the roof of the cabin. She checked his pulse then smirked, _sweet dreams Celt,_ then she dropped him unceremoniously onto the floor.

Kim turned around to look at Josh Mankey, a few months ago she would have been a trembling, blushing basket case, at just being in the same room as this boy. Now, as she moves over to untie him, she noted his handsome features only in passing, and felt nothing more than ambivalence in his presence. "Hello Josh," Kim said.

"Kim, is that you," Josh asked in surprise?

"This was going to be my costume for Monique's party tonight," Kim answered his unspoken question.

"But, how is your height changed, and the floor, and how you took him out," Josh asked?

"To answer your questions in the order they were received," Kim quipped, "Wade, Wade, and adrenaline." Then went over to the out-cold golfer and tied him up, with the cord from her grappling hook.

"Since, you saved me, may I reward you with a dance later tonight," Josh asked as she finished securing the prisoner?

Kim looked up and grinned, "I'm flattered, really," she admitted, "but I'm sort of coming with a date tonight."

Josh looked slightly disappointed, then brightened with a chuckle, "Does Ron know you consider going to the party tonight a date," he asked slyly? That caused her to blush and Josh to laugh even harder.

* * *

On board the Bus…

Shego was sitting alone in an interrogation room. When she regained consciousness after getting knocked out by _Stoppable, of all people._ She and Drakken had been separated and placed on separate transportation, she did not really know where she was, she did know from the movement the room and inertia that she was on a mobile platform of some kind. The room she was in was unlike any she had ever seen, and she had been in her share of interrogation rooms, as a hero and a villain. It reminded Shego, of the padded cells she had seen in mental institutes, only instead of white, squared padding, this cell had metal-colored hexagons. It was mostly dark with four sets of lighting fixtures located in the corners of the, nine by sixteen feet square, room. The only furniture in the room was the table where she sat, with the two chairs, and looking around, a cot on the wall away from the door.

The door opened and in walked two women, a blonde woman with brown-eyes, wearing a standard SHIELD combat uniform, no weapon of any kind was visible, that Shego could see. The second was the same height as Shego, had red, almost scarlet hair, and wore a dark, synthetic, leather-like, form-fitting, stretch fabric body suit. Wrapped around her wrists, were metallic gauntlets, that resembled a series of tubes. The belt on her waist carried her weapons, two collapsible, electroshock batons in back, two pistols on her hips, and wore a dual shoulder-holster, which carried another two pistols. Shego, of course knew who this woman was, by reputation to say the least. Shego, was of two minds about finally meeting one of the few people on the planet that scared her even a little. One; she was happy to finally meet the Avenger, known as Black Widow, and two; meeting her like this was not how Shego, would have chosen to meet the Widow, for the first time.

The blonde woman walked in and sat down, facing the villainess. Under her arm, she carried a file, she sat down and opened the file and began reading, "Michelle Glory O'Neil, born 11 March, 1977, to Peter Francis and Barbara Candice O'Neil (Deceased), the second child after Herman Gordon O'Neil, alias Hego, (Deceased), fraternal twin to Marcus Phillip O'Neil, alias Mego (Deceased), older sibling to identical twins, Walter William and Wilbur Peter O'Neil, aliases Wego (Missing). Parents died in the same incident that gave you and your brothers your cometary powers, your brothers were murdered 1 January, 1998, by the mutant renegade Victor Creed, alias Sabretooth, Walter and Wilbur also went missing on that date."

"Yeah, that's my history, lady," Shego replied before running her fingers through her ebony hair. Then lazily turned her head over the red-head in the room, "got enough guns, there Widow, it's just lil' ole me here, don't you know," Shego asked?

Widow laughed, "the guns aren't here for you, Ms. O'Neil," she answered in a devious grin, "they're here to protect you," then raising her hand to point it at the woman across the table, "from her." Shego looked at the woman across from her, who just grinned, and Widow continued, "you did attempt to kidnap her son tonight after all."

"Stoppable," Shego asked, "wait Ron's your son," she asked in astonishment? The other woman just nodded.

"Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Victoria Raven Stoppable," Vicky introduced herself.

Shego held up her hands, "Hey, I would never have allowed any harm to come to him," then indicating the file, "that should indicate that I have never taken a single life, in any of the phases of my life. The most I've ever done is put a few people in the hospital, with nothing more serious than a concussion, some burns, and a broken bone or several. The most we would've done to Stoppable, is rough him up a little, I promise."

"Which is why you're still breathing on your own, instead of through a tube right now," Vicky Stoppable growled! Then taking a deep breath to calm herself, "and the only reason, you're being given a one-time only offer."

Shego looked puzzled, "What offer?"

"To join SHIELD," Ron's mother answered.


	9. 007: Possible-Stoppable-Pryde

X-Possible

Possible-Stoppable-Pryde

It was the last week of November, the week of Thanksgiving, and in Middleton that meant one thing: the Possibles and the Stoppables, who were practically family already, came together and celebrated the holiday. This year some special guests would be attending, one Dr. Hank McCoy, maternal cousin to the Possible patriarch, and Anne Possible's niece and nephew, Katharine, and Lawrence Pryde, also known as, Kitty and Larry respectively. Middleton ISD was out for the week, and Team Possible decided to skip their weekly hiking trip into the mountains, to spend time with their families and each other.

Today, was Monday, and Kim was excited about her cousin Shadowcat's visit. Kitty was three years older than Kim's sixteen, and Kim always looked up to her cousin, Katharine, who at sixteen herself, became a field leader for the X-men. It was Kitty's tales of adventure with her fellow mutants that inspired Kim to start her website. Kim was sitting with Ron on the couch in the family room, talking animatedly about stuff she hoped to do with her cousin, while she was here. "I'm really looking forward to seeing Kitty again," Kim enthused, "we didn't get much of a visit over the summer."

Ron scratching the back of his head, and looking away in embarrassment, "Yeah, sorry about that KP, but who would've thought our client would turn out to be an insane, monkey obsessed, monkey-human hybrid out to rule the world?"

Kim jerked her head in his direction, "It's okay, Ron," she said placing her hand over the one not scratching his head, getting him to turn in her direction. "You couldn't have known," then remembering how Ron had called Monkey Fist, bad road even before the whole sitch at Monkey Fist manor, added, "for sure that he was the bad road you thought he was, you're not your uncle," Kim squeezed his hand in hers, "you don't let your fear rule you, even before you started improving yourself, you faced your fears, and controlled them. Whether we were fighting Drakken, Killigan, or even just jumping out of perfectly good aircraft, you were brave, and always showed great courage," she finished telling her Ron, then added in her thoughts, something she has finally admitted, at least to herself, _and that's one of the many, many things that have made me realize, that I love you Ronnie!_

Stoppable was dumbfounded at his best friend's declaration, and his eyes suddenly began to shine with moisture. He suddenly turned away, and with his free hand began wiping them, and to keep his male mystique said, "man, it's dusty in here, when was the last time the sofa was dusted?"

Kim smiled, not buying his sudden allergy attack, and instead of humoring him began calling him on his bluff, "it was just yesterday that we dusted the whole house," she informed him.

Ron panicked and began to try to find something to keep up the ruse that he wasn't crying, "top to bottom?"

"Top to bottom," Kim confirmed.

"Front and back," asked Ron?

"Front and back," Kim answered.

"Inside and out," Ron asked with increased desperation?

"Inside and…," Kim began before realizing what he'd asked, " _Ron_ ," she growled, "who dusts the outside of their house?"

Ron flinched a little, but stuck to his guns, even though he knew he was losing the argument, "I don't know… somebody… somewhere, maybe," he retorted.

"Well, until you show me someone who dusts the exterior of their house, and is not suffering some form of mental or emotional disorder," Kim challenged, finally lifting her hand from his and crossing them over her chest, but her eyes never left his, "I'm going to have to deny your claim that there was any dust getting in your eye." For a few pregnant moments they glared in each other's eyes, daring the other to flinch, then the corners of their mouths began to twitch, as if they were having an earthquake on their faces. They just started laughing, and falling against each other, they would seem to be getting their mirth under control, then after looking at each other fresh laughter would spill forth once more. They laughed for a good two minutes, before finally getting in control of themselves.

"Thanks Kim," Ron said to his best friend, and as of recently the keeper of his heart, it was not just Kim who had finally admitted, to himself at least, how he felt about Kim Possible, "I needed that, things were just getting too serious there for a moment."

"No big," Kim replied, "anybody could have made a joke about how macho men like to hide their true emotions."

"Since when was I ever macho," Ron asked, "my life motto is to never be normal?"

"I know, Ron," Kim replied, patting his hand.

"When are Kitty and Larry, expected to get here," Ron asked, "I'm looking forward to getting in some gamage with Larry again?"

Kim rolled her eyes as Ron talked about the other Pryde cousin, coming to visit. While Kim loved Larry, cousin to cousin, there were times when his obsession with science fiction, just got on her nerves. Ron was the same, and it amazed her that what annoyed her so much about one person, did not bother her at all in another. _Maybe it's because, Ron doesn't bore me to tears talking about it, while Larry just won't shut-up about roleplaying, plus Ron has other interests besides Sci-fi._ "They should be here any minute, Hank was going to pick them up from the airport and bring them here. They'll be staying here for the week, Uncle Carmen and Aunt Theresa are getting here, the day before Thanksgiving, but with Uncle Carmen keeping banker's hours, made it impossible for them to come any sooner."

No sooner had Kim finished speaking, then there was a knock at the door. Kim followed by Ron, got up and hurried to the door, she did not need the familiar scent of her cousins, to know who was at the door. Reaching it, Kim flung the door wide, and beyond it stood Beast, Shadowcat, and Larry. Kitty was grinning from ear to ear upon seeing her cousin and her best friend, " **Kimmy** ," screamed the brown-haired, blue-eyed, intangible-capable mutant known as Shadowcat, and amid shrieks that could be heard in orbit, the teen girls launched themselves into a hug! They hugged each other tightly, jumping up and down.

" **Kitty** ," screamed the sixteen-styles of Chinese martial arts knowing, gymnastic and cheerleader perfecting, hidden cat-like, also intangible mutant, teen hero, Kim Possible! They began chattering right away, forgetting that they were in the door way to Kim's house, and forgetting Kim's other two cousins.

Before they could get too deep in conversation, Beast spoke up, "While I am sufficiently warded from the frigid season, thanks to my outerwear, and my natural blue fur," Hank stated urbanely, "your brother Kitty, and your other cousin Kim, is not so lucky. Would you please allow us to enter the house of my cousin James, that we may partake of the heat emanating therein?" Realizing where they were, both girls broke apart, looking sheepish while Kim stood aside letting her family enter her house. "Having already been in contact with James via telephone, I know he is still hard at work at the Space Center, and thus not at home. Where, however, is the matriarch of this domicile," Hank asked, as he entered the Possible family home?

"Mom's still at the hospital, and the tweebs are over at a friend's house," Kim replied, "they should be home soon." As Larry entered the house, following his sister and her teammate, Kim greeted him dutifully, "hello Larry, welcome to Middleton," she said while giving him a hug. He may not be her favorite cousin but in her mind, he was still family. James and Anne had taught their kids, the importance of family all their lives.

Larry returned the hug with one of his own and, "Greetings cousin," he began, "I feel welcome in the house of my uncle and aunt and look forward to the partaking of the Thanksgiving tradition," he said trying to sound impressive, and it just came off as lame. Seeing that his cousin did not understand the reference he started explaining, "that's the formal greeting between the fearsome, warrior-aliens, Gakuone of the sci-fi epic, Space Voyage: the Next Journey, it was a greeting that prevented much bloodshed, even between family members."

Kim's eyes had fogged over as he explained, but it was Ron who broke the tension when he stepped forward and thumped his right hand over his chest. "Greeting returned to you, cousin of my battle mate, Kim Possible," Ron began, "I too am partaking in the Thanksgiving tradition, and I look forward to going into battle as allies."

Hank smiled indulgently at the exchange, but the two teen girls, just rolled their eyes and shook their heads. Then shared a look that said one word, _boys._ Kitty approached them, saying, "you two are worse than Bobby Drake," she said, then turned to Ron. "Don't I rate a greeting, Ron," she asked, folding her arms over her chest, "or are you going to ignore me?"

Ron turned toward the X-man, and with a goofy grin said, "of course not, I was just making sure my hearing wasn't permanently damaged after those screams you two let loose at the door." They were still in the foyer, the door long since closed, and Ron stepped up to Kitty, and enfolded her in her own hug, "Hello, KP Sr.," Ron said gently, if there was a runner-up in his heart for another woman, this young lady before him was certainly in that position. While his feelings for Kim were set in stone these days, Kitty Pryde in the past was right up there with Kim Possible. Ironically, both young women had the same initials, and Ron called them both 'KP', however to distinguish the two when they were in the same room, he addressed Kim Possible as, KP Jr., and Kitty Pryde as stated above, "it must be a girl thing, but I'm surprised that KP Jr's ears aren't bleeding with all that screaming."

Beast suddenly made a face, "The excited outbursts you heard at the door, Ronald," Hank stated, "are but minor tropical depressions when compared to hurricane force cacophony, that makes land fall almost daily in Westchester, betwixt Kitty here and Miss Lee, not to mention the added sounds of Miss Sinclair, and young Lara Logan. At times, I think Charles sends them on missions to manufacture a certain amount of tranquility in the Mansion."

Larry had a look as if he knew right where Dr. McCoy was coming from, "I had to endure the same screams this summer, when Kim came to visit," he added, "they reminded me of the Harpies on level twenty-nine of Arc-Rage. There shriek was one of their most devastating attacks." At the exchange between their male family members both girls were sulking, with their arms crossed over their chests, looking highly offended.

"We are so not that loud," Kim argued.

"That's right, if Kim can handle it with how sensitive her ears are," Kitty added, "then surely, you big tough men can just deal with it."

Just as Kim was about to add more, she received a call on her cellphone. "Excuse me, that's dad's ringtone," holding up a finger she answered it. "Hello," she answered then, "hey dad… yes they got here just fine," she said looking at her family's guests to indicate who they were talking about, "sure, me and Ron could come by the Space Center… I'll ask Hank to drop us off, if it's not too much trouble," she continued looking at her dad's cousin, her eyes asking the question. Who nodded and shrugged, as if it was not a problem, Kim continued the conversation with her dad, "me and Ron should be in our mission gear… yes, we will… no its no problem at all… okay see you then dad… I love you too, see you at the space center, bye." Kim clicked off, looking at Ron who had already started moving for the dojo in the basement, where he stored some extra mission gear, "let's get going Ron, dad's got a mission for Team Possible." Then turning to her guests, "I'm sorry, you all, but we've gotta run. Larry you're in the spare bedroom, up the stairs down the hall third door on the left. Kitty you're staying in my room, come on and follow me, while I go get changed."

* * *

Middleton Space Center of Colorado

Dr. James Possible was hard at work in his lab at the Middleton Space Center's robotics lab. He was operating an overhead magnet, when Team Possible walked in with Kim greeting her father with, "Hey Dad."

The magnet was still going when he turned to greet them with, "Kimmy, Ronald."

Ron also greeted the man, he saw as only slightly less of a father-figure than Ron's own father, "hey, doctor P, what's the new toy, is that an electromagnet?"

James Possible's smile brightened as Ron asked him about his latest project, then waving his question aside added, "that's right, and it's no toy, it's the most powerful electromagnet in North America," he confirmed before adding, "full-spectrum, synchrotronic, flux-condenser," he said. Then added, "Isn't it cool?"

Ron chuckled, "it's a good thing my belt-buckle and suspenders are made of brass, and my new ticks are made of aluminum, or you guys would be seeing me in my boxers right about now."

Kim got down to business, "So, dad what's up," she said giving him a little nudge with her elbow?

Jim suddenly went serious and putting a finger over his lips said, "Shush," before looking around but still moving closer said in a whisper, "top-secret," before turning and indicating for Team Possible to follow him, "go infrasonic," he ordered while inserting his ear wiig.

They came to a door with a palm reader, and an electronic voice ordered, "PLACE PALM ON PALM DISPLAY SCANNER," which Dr. Possible complied with, which caused the palm reader to reply, "WELCOME DOCTOR POSSIBLE."

As the doors opened and they entered, Kim's dad began briefing his daughter and her partner on why he asked them to come, _"we've been working on a robotic surface explorer for the unmanned Jupiter mission."_

Ron listened then asked, _"wait the mission to Jupiter is top secret, why is that? Wouldn't a mission to Jupiter be a big draw for the masses, and bring some extra dollars to the Space Center?"_

Kim was amused, _"Ron, we fight supervillains all the time, who would like nothing more than to steal some of this top-secret tech, just to make it into some sort of doomsday weapon."_

Jim stopped suddenly and rounded on his daughter, _"how did you know that,"_ he asked with mild suspicion?

Kim paused, then smiled at her father and answered, _"lucky guess."_

Dr. Possible continued with his briefing, as they came to a retinal scanner, which allowed them to enter, after passing the scan, _"because it'll be too far away for real-time communication, we need a robot that can think for itself."_

Kim knew where he was going with this, so she made another leap of analytical thinking, _"artificial intelligence?"_

Her father whipped back around in an accusatory tone asked, _"are you sure you haven't been briefed on this?"_

Seeing her father's concern Kim raised her arms placatingly, and conceded, _"I'll stop."_

They finally came to a huge machine that was an X-ray machine, and passed through to the other side, coming to a much stronger door than the last two combined, this one had only a keypad, _"anyway, we've got a robotics whiz, who's been working on a thinking prototype. A prototype that was stolen last night,"_ Dr. Possible concluded his briefing in outrage.

* * *

Once inside the lab, Team Possible went to work, and using their heightened senses, literally began sniffing around for clues. The container that housed the prototype was about three-feet long, made of half inch-thick glass steel, and shaped like a bread box. At the moment, Kim was holding a piece of glass that reflected her image, with all the security they had to go through there was one question on Kim's mind, which she voiced aloud, "how could an outsider even get in here," voicing her suspicions that it was an inside job?

Just as she was asking that question a man fell from above, "that's a good question," then looking at his predicament hanging upside down, suspended by his lab coat from a metal-arm, "just a moment, I'll be right down," he said as he began manipulating the controls to the metal-arm in his hand.

James began making introductions, "ah, Kimmy, this is doctor…," but before he could finish, the arm began swinging the scientist all over amid his cries of fear and pain. It ended with the mechanical arm swinging the hapless scientists around in circles. Everyone just stood and watched, and Ron was getting dizzy just watching the spectacle. It was like looking at a wreck on the highway, you don't want to watch, but you just must, even when the machine dropped him right at Ron's feet.

The scientist stood up immediately, yelling, "I'm okay, I'm Finn by the way," extending his hand to shake Ron's hand.

Ron smiled, taking the scientist's hand, and offered some conciliatory empathy, "I know how it is, I used to be terrible with machines too…"

Finn roughly pulled his hand from Ron's, and asked in an insulted tone of voice, "what do you mean by that," he got in Ron's face, which was a feat because Ron towered above the man by a head, "I'm a robotics expert?"

The two Possibles intervened with Jim putting his arm around Finn's shoulder, "speaking of which, Kimmy's going to help you recover the Project," he said in a whisper, behind his hand.

Kim extending her hand to say, "pleased to meet you doctor."

"Quietly please," Finn said, in an even quieter tone of voice, while shaking Kim's hand.

As they shook hands Kim's face went expressionless as she entered her mission mode, as Jim added, "if the theft gets out, it could mean big trouble for the space center."

Kim nodded, "I understand," the added, "and since it's my father, we'll look at this as a personal favor from me and Ron, to you dad," then thinking some more and looking over at Ron, who was buried in the crime scene again. "You okay with that Ron," she called to him, who just nodded, before plucking something from inside before standing up to inspect it?

"It means we can't involve Wade, we're gonna have to do this old school," Ron informed them. "We'll look at this as an early Christmas gift to you, Mr. Dr. P, and you owe us a favor for later," he added as he walked over to the group, all the while sniffing lightly what he found in the container.

"A favor," Kim's father asked looking at his daughter, "and why can't you involve Wade?"

Kim smiled innocently, "think new and four-wheels, for when I get my DL next semester," she informed her father, before getting back to business. "If we ask Wade for help then it legally becomes a Team Possible case, which means we would have to draw up our standard contract, meaning we would own the device, and the Space Center would be buying it back from us at 1% it's total value, which brings it into the public domain…"

Her dad was nodding, as he remembered the crash course he got the first week of this month, in Team Possible object retrieval policy, _my wife was right on the money with that one,_ "and since we need the theft to remain internal, as long as possible…"

"…exactly," Kim concluded, then turned to her best friend, hopefully more soon. "What did you find, Ronnie," she asked, as he joined the group.

Ron handed his evidence to his best friend, that he's in love with, cluing them in on his analysis, "blonde-hair belonging to a woman."

Finn's eyes widened, "how did you draw that conclusion, you didn't run any tests?"

"Let's see, the hair was long, but healthy, and unless it was a prized show dog, the shampoo and conditioner used to keep it healthy is the kind Kim, and just about every girl at my school uses," Ron answered the diminutive scientist. "Plus, the color and texture, matched the photograph I noticed on your desk, as we came in," Ron added pointing his finger at the desk, then adding in high freq to the two Possibles, " _that, and the pheromonal signature matched that of a post-pubescent woman,_ " he told them, as Kim gave a sniff of it was well.

"He's right," Kim concurred, "this is the same shampoo, I and most of the cheerleaders keep in our lockers for after practice," then looking at the photo asked, "who is that, Finn? _Her scent is also all over the lab, my suspicion of an inside job is getting more traction,"_ Kim added to her family, yes in her mind Ron has always been family to her.

Finn turned and saw where he was pointing, "oh, that's Vivian, my ex-lab partner."

"Why ex," Kim asked?

Slightly, defensive Finn answered, "she couldn't keep up, had to let her go."

While most humans would have been fooled, Kim and Ron were not most humans, that was the second lie Finn told them, since being in the robot lab. Jim added something, "didn't I hear, that she quit?"

Finn answered dismissively, "trust me, she was pushed." And, thus the third lie Kim and Ron heard today coming out of Finn's mouth, and second over the same person, fell upon their animal acute senses.

Kim was now highly suspicious of Finn, but did not want to spook him, so she added, "maybe she holds a grudge," she asked hypothetically?

Ron's own suspicions were highly peeked, and he followed Kim's lead, "girls are big on grudges," he concluded.

Kim playing off Ron gave him a challenging glare, and with hands-on hips demanded, "says who?"

Ron returned the challenge with a riposte, "I don't know, KP, but whoever said, 'hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,' sure got it right, after all the times I've pissed you off."

Kim crossed her arms and turned her head before letting out an irritated, "hmpft," before turning to the now highly suspicious Finn, "Finn, do you know where we can find Vivian?"

After giving it some thought, he said, "Last I heard, she was spending all her time at the Robot Rumble."

"What is a Robot Rumble," she wondered aloud?

* * *

Later at the Possible House

Dr. Anne Possible was in the kitchen, getting dinner ready for the evening meal. She was still in her lab coat, only getting home from the hospital five minutes ago. Tonight, in honor of her house guests, specifically her nephew Larry, she was preparing her famous 'Brain Loaf,' which Larry, Ron, and her own boys loved. It was just your standard meat loaf, but it was shaped like an actual brain. It was remarkably anatomically correct, and as a neurosurgeon, Anne Possible would know that better than anybody. She had finished preparing the meat loaf and with the oven already preheated, she opened it and placed it inside.

"Now that's done," Anne said aloud to herself while looking at her watch, a gift from her husband on their last anniversary, she noted she had thirty minutes before it was ready. "Plenty of time to go get changed into something more comfortable than work clothes," she told herself. Anne walked through her home, passing by the family room, where her sons and nephew were playing video games on the family room television. "Supper's almost ready boys, don't get too engrossed in your game, now," she admonished them.

"We won't, mom," Jim assured her, "we're pretty hungry," Tim informed her.

"As you wish, oh Queen of the Realm," Larry acknowledged, from anybody else, Anne would have assumed he was mocking her, but she knew it was just his way of expressing himself. She moved up the stairs, passing Kim's attic room entrance, the lights were on telling Anne, that her niece was up in the room relaxing after the long flight from Westchester, deplaning in Chicago's O'Hare to wait for her brother, before boarding the flight that brought them to Tri-City International Airport. Though Kitty was beyond healthy, thanks to the exercise regimen all the field operatives of the X-men were required to follow, she like all teenage girls found dealing with their brothers, regardless of age, to be very taxing especially when those brothers had only one hobby and talked about it incessantly.

After changing into sweats for the night, Anne made her way to the opening to her daughter's room. Poking her head up through the hole, preceded by, "knock, knock," Anne saw her niece lying full on Kim's bed, just relaxing, and looking at the ceiling.

Kitty turned her head, "Hey, Auntie Anne," she said, and gave a brief smile, before turning back to contemplating the ceiling.

Sensing turmoil, Anne came the rest of the way into the room, "Okay Kitty, out with it, why are you being so moody?" While the direct approach would not have worked with Kim, Kitty and Anne, who were more best friends, than niece and aunt, have always had a strong bond. They were never ones to beat around the bush with each other and were always, brutally honest with each other.

Kitty looked at her aunt in consternation, then huffing turned back to the ceiling, "Peter, broke up with me, just before I came here for Thanksgiving." She was more angry than sad about the breakup, which was what had her so moody. While she did cry a little over losing the relationship, that was the only thing she was sad about, she and the Russian had dated for a year, and she could not muster even a modicum of melancholy over how it ended.

Anne sat on her daughter's bed, placing a comforting hand on her niece's arm, who looked over in gratitude. "I'm sorry he ended your relationship," she began, "did he give you a reason," Anne asked?

"Yeah," she said bitterly, "he said, I was spending more time, talking with some other guy than with him. He said, he didn't trust that all we were doing was chatting about computers, and coding, which was all we were doing," she yelled pounding her fist into the mattress.

Anne squeezed her niece's arm, "sounds like Peter had some issues with trust Kitty, if that's the case, then the problem is with him," her aunt offered to her niece's nod. "Just how much time _were_ you spending talking to this other guy?"

Kitty shrugged, "on average, just about two or three hours a day," she cringed, starting to see what Peter meant, "but there was nothing going on, we were just friends, who liked talking 'computers.'

Anne hummed, quirking and eye brow, "and did anything else suffer, besides your relationship to Colossus?"

Kitty winced, "I might have missed a Danger Room session or two," then giving up, as she realized that her anger was not directed at her ex, but at herself. "Peter was right to break up with me, I should have been making more of an effort to spend time with him," Kitty finally admitted.

Anne chuckled at her niece, "maybe, but maybe not, if you were having more fun speaking to some guy over the internet about computers, than your boyfriend, then maybe you and Piotr Rasputin, just weren't right for each other, and this was your subconscious telling you as much. So, don't beat yourself up too badly, that's what dating is for, trying out different people to see if they are the one for you," Dr. Possible concluded.

Kitty smirked, "tell that to your daughter," she said, "I haven't been in her presence long, but even I've noticed how she is around Ron. Even over the summer, most of the subjects we began talking about were, at least obliquely, related to her best friend," Kitty chuckled slightly to herself.

Anne nodded knowingly, "that's the difference between friends you've just met and eventually began dating, and life-long friends you're suddenly seeing in a different light. I've noticed the change between those two in the past few months," Kim Possible's mother included, "and she may think she's hiding it well, which she is for the most part, but I can tell a woman in love when I see one."

Kitty nodded sagely at that, "and she's got it bad for a certain blonde-haired neighbor boy," she concluded.

"Exactly," Anne agreed.

Just then the front door opened and closed, "we're home," Jim called from the foyer! Which made the two women stand and make their way down, to greet the man of the house. They heard him and his daughter speaking quietly, "it's absurd that you would suspect him of stealing his own work," they heard James exclaim.

"Not really, many of the supervillains I've read about and met were frustrated geniuses, who were discredited," Kim argued, "then turned around and used their research to create some pretty bad things."

James was nodding as if conceding her point, "and you suspect Flinn, in the theft of the Project?"

"No dad, Ron and I don't for a moment suspect Finn in the theft," Kim corrected, "our prime suspect is his lab partner, Vivian. We do not however, fully trust Finn, and believe there is more to the story than what he is telling us," Kim informed her father.

By now, the father-daughter duo had reached the family room, where the males of the Possible-Pryde clan had gathered, still playing their video game. "Hey boys," James greeted his sons and nephew, "how goes the conquest of the Fissure, and the salvation of Petara?"

Larry spoke up first, "my army the Lyons of Prydemania, have formed an alliance with the Immortals of Possibility, and are systematically countering all opposition."

"We're slaughtering them," Tim added, "we're showing them no mercy," Jim finished!

Jim Sr. mused, "the Prydes and the Possibles, that team up has always yielded rather positive results for me," he said as he heard his wife join him in watching the boys play. He turned and brought her into his embrace, delivering a greeting kiss as he added, "three positive results, that are still yielding great potential."

Anne's eyes alighted when she saw him, and when she heard him speak about their kids with pride, it was all she could do to control herself. Anne is a strong woman, but even she cannot help but go weak kneed, when her husband speaks so endearingly about their life together.

Kim watches the exchange with longing, _I so want that kind of relationship with Ronnie,_ she thinks.

Kitty also observes the moment, and cannot but feel jealous of her aunt's relationship, and wonders, _will I ever have that kind of relationship with anybody?_ Then looking around says aloud, "where's Ron?"

"He's at home tonight, it's his night to cook for his family," Kim tells her, "he said he'll be over later to do some research on our case."

The Possible adults disengaged from each other, then Anne went to check on the Brain Loaf. James turned to the video game players, and announced, "alright boys go get washed up for supper, it'll be ready in a few minutes." Jim and Tim cheered and bolted for the bathroom, while Larry rolled up the cords and configured the entertainment center back to its original state.

"There now, Kate and Kim can watch, 'Pals,' after dinner, which is still their favorite show, if I'm not mistaken," Larry stated sending a sideways glance at his sister and cousin. He waited long enough to see them blush, before walking down the hall to wash his hands.

The Possibles and Kitty, were just sitting down to dinner, the brain loaf was in the center of the table, they were just waiting on Larry. It was at that moment that Ron walked into the house. "Hola, Possible-Pryde clan, what's going on this bon-diggity evening," he said as he made his way to the dining room table?

"Ron," the tweebs yelled from their seat!

"Good evening, Ronald," Mr. Dr. Possible said giving him a jaunty wave.

"Ronnie," Kim exclaimed, her mood picking up significantly, "I mean… Ron, what are you doing here I thought you were cooking dinner tonight," she asked with a blush? Anne and Kitty saw and gave each other a knowing look.

Meanwhile, Ron answered Kim, while scratching the back of his head, "well, mom and dad, had a rare night off and decided to… rekindle the flame, so to speak," Ron said while turning beet red. "So, they booked a room, somewhere in Upperton, and without Rufus it was only me, and cooking for just yourself isn't as much fun as cooking for someone else so…," Ron trailed off, still scratching the back of his head, while looking away.

Wordlessly, Kim and Kitty stood up and moved their chairs to make room for Ron between them, while James moved a spare chair into the now empty spot. Anne went into the kitchen and brought back another plate, napkin, and silverware set, and placed them in the now open spot. Ron walked and sat down in the chair provided for him, by his second family, _and hopefully more someday,_ Ron thought looking at Kim out of the corner of his eye. "Brain Loaf," Ron exclaimed, "coolio, Mrs. Dr. P.!"

Anne smiled, "We're just waiting for Larry to get started," she informed Ron, who nodded remembering Possible dinner rule number one, dinner does not start until everybody makes it to the table. "So, did I hear right about you and Kim investigating a theft at the robotics lab?"

"That's correct," Ron replied with a nod, "while the details must remain top secret, we can say that we have a suspect, but we can't seem to pin-point her location."

"Yeah, you'd think that the Space Center, known for building incredible scientific, and dangerous devices would have more on it's employees than name and credentials," Kim put in, then turned to her father and with a quirked eyebrow, looked pointedly at her father, "Dad."

James Possible winced at his daughter's rebuke, but defended himself with, "Sorry, Kimmy-cub, but we're scientists, security just isn't as high a priority at the Space Center as it is for places like NASA, JPL, or other such agencies."

Kim just shook her head in disbelief, "it's the lack of security at research labs, that allow supervillains like Drakken and Dementor to pilfer research that can later be used against people like me or Ron, or other innocent people." Then looking at her partner Kim asked, "Ron, were you able to find anything on the clue given to us by that liar today?"

Ron was shaking his head before she finished her question, "no can do KP, I've searched every database I can think of including SHEILD and GJ sources, I even dipped a toe into the dark web, but I can find nothing about this 'Robot Rumble,'" he said using air quotes.

"Of course not Ronald," said a voice from behind them, "it wouldn't be much of a secret if just anybody could look it up in a computer." Everybody's head whipped in the direction of the voice to see Lawrence Pryde, walking in to take his seat across from Kim.

"Wait a minute," Kitty asked her little brother, "you know what he's talking about, Larry?"

"The first rule about Robot Rumble, don't talk about Robot Rumble," Larry answered, his voice getting husky. "Well, I have to do something to pass the time between your visits, Kate," Larry explained, "there's not much to do, in our town, for a nerd like me. I'm not athletic, not especially smart, and even I know I lack basic social graces unless I'm talking to someone via computer, so I made some friends with the smarter people in town, who like to build robots and make them fight to see which tech genius had the better design."

"Larry," Kim asked, gently, "would you happen to be able to locate where this Rumble takes place?"

Larry put his hand in his chin, stroking with his thumb and forefinger, "not around here…" he mused, which broke the tension in the room, then Larry ever the oblivious one in terms of physical human interaction, added, "but, I may know someone who does."

At this Anne broke in, "then let's eat before the loaf gets cold, then Larry can make a few phone calls, and see what he can do."

* * *

Somewhere in Middleton

"The Robot Rumble," Larry began as he, Kim, Ron, and his sister, came around the corner of a comic book store, "is a community, a gathering where enthusiasts share information, as well as their robot's competitive capabilities." They were all dressed in their normal mission gear, Kim, and Ron in Team Possible gear, though Ron was carrying an old sax case that he would not tell any of them what it contained, though Kim had her suspicions, Kitty was dressed as Shadowcat, and Larry was wearing his normal clothing, and walked confidently to a light pole, he flipped open a small panel, pressing a few buttons, which caused an old freight elevator to open out of the sidewalk. All four teenagers stepped onto the elevator platform, causing the elevator to descend below ground level, "and it's for members only."

Kim rolled her eyes and quipped, "So, a bunch of tech geeks get together and watch robots fight," she said in a nutshell.

Larry just looked at her, before retorting, "and cheerleaders are nothing but frustrated, airheaded gymnasts, who get together and watch a bunch of Neanderthals fight over a piece of vinyl with air in it. I'm sorry, cousin Kim, but who is helping whom here?"

Kitty rolled her eyes, "Kimberly, be grateful, you just insulted not only your dad, and most of your family, but also your best friend. Lawrence be nice, this is important for Uncle Jim."

Kim looked at Kitty then Ron, who was folding his arms and looking hard at his best friend, she lowered her head, but looked up at him through her bangs and mouth the words, "I'm sorry," before lowering her eyes all the way to the ground. Ron just smiled and pulled her into a hug, which she accepted gladly.

While they were hugging Ron made eye contact with Kitty, they grinned deviously as he brought his hand up and smacked her sharply in the back of the head. "I forgive you, now, Kim," then took her by the shoulders and turned her around to look at her cousin.

She turned her head back to look at her best friend, and a needle on her moral compass, who gave her a fierce silent order. Slumping her shoulders, then straightening to find Larry looking back at her with Kitty's hands on his shoulders, Kim looked him in the eyes and said, "I'm sorry for insulting you and your friends, Larry. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here or even know where it was, so thank you. You're a better cousin than I am, so will you please forgive me?"

Larry took a deep breath, and said, "yeah, Kim, I forgive you, and on behalf of my friends forgive you there too." He looked back at Kitty, who gave him, her own silent command, he turned back to his cousin, and said, "and I apologize for calling you and all cheerleaders airheads, will you please forgive me for my insults?"

Kim smirked, "what about the football players, and gymnast crack?"

Larry's eyes hardened, "for those statements, I stand by my convictions," his jaw jutted out stubbornly.

Kitty and Ron just through their hands up in frustration, but Kim just smiled and stepped over to her cousin. She put her arms around him, and kissed his cheek, "Larry, though I may not understand your hobby, I hope you understand how much I care about you and all my family." Larry nodded silently as the elevator came to a halt at the bottom of the shaft.

The quartet came to an old rollercoaster car, and hopped in, "bon-diggity, the fights here remind me of the factory revolt in Beyond Omega-7! When this case is over I'm gonna try to come back here and test some of my designs against other robots."

Even Kitty was enthused, "I'm gonna see it I might be able to find a similar group in Westchester, when I get back from holiday." The car took off like a bat out of hell, and Larry continued to brief them on the particulars, "now my friend gave me a run down on the sensitivities of this group, he said to tread lightly around the person you're wanting to see, Vivian. Her boyfriend is really protective of her, and Oliver founded the Rumble," Larry informed them. They arrived at a door with some major security, as they approached the door a blue-green light flashed over them, obviously scanning them. It demanded a password entry to which Larry stepped up and said, "Republic Senator, Princess Leia Organa-Skywalker-Solo," which the scanners accepted and opened allowing them to enter. Before they entered Larry turned to his family and reminded them, "I'm sticking my neck out for you three, don't embarrass me, please?"

They walked down a hallway and came out into a domed room, seeing a few people Kim and Ron, knew from school and around town. They saw Ned from Bueno Nacho, _so this is what he does on his nights off,_ they thought. Then a blonde they knew from science class, and Ron from E/C tech class, Justine Flannery. Justine was one of the few people other than Forge to compliment him over his use of small ticks instead of sexy machines. She had followed his example and began developing a butterfly that could fly using the same motions as butterfly wings.

Everybody in the room, was looking down into a pit that was eight feet deep at the center, arching down into a ten-foot radius, symmetrical open plane curve, formed by the intersection of a cone, with a plane parallel to its side. At the bottom of the pit, two bots on wheels duked it out, they had pretty much the same design, only one looked more like a dish cover with a mace swinging above it, while the other at least looked a little streamlined, but sported an axe in leu of a chain. The four teens watched the bout for a few minutes, with Ron whooping and cheering. Kim looked around and spotted another attractive blonde a little older than Kitty, off to the side, cheering the action as loudly as any of the teens in attendance. "Vivian," Kim asked as she went there with Kitty in tow, "my name is Kim Possible?"

Vivian recognized the name immediately, "there was a Dr. Possible at the Space Center."

Kim smiled in pride, "my dad."

"Oh," Vivian smiled, "he's nice."

"Yeah," Kim continued, "he asked me to help Finn."

"NOT Nice," and like that Vivian shut down, "I don't wanna help Finn," then shouted, "Oliver!"

From out of nowhere a shadow loomed over Kim, and a man that looked to be about Vivian's age, with brown hair, a portly body, and a very noticeable frown stepped up behind Kim. Kim looked at Vivian then at Oliver, she was not intimidated at all, she had taken down bigger men in her career, but two could play her game, "Ron!" This time it was Vivian's turn to gawp as Ron stepped up behind her boyfriend, in the last month his growth had plateaued at six-feet-one-inch and was even with Oliver.

They stared each other down, and Ron was sniffing the person in front of him, then he turned to Vivian and spoke in a low voice that only Kim, Oliver, and Kitty heard, "we're not here to start trouble, Dr. Porter," Ron's now deeper voice informed her. "We're only here to try and recover the prototype for the project and get to the bottom of why you stole it in the first place," Ron asked in the form of a statement.

Oliver just snorted, "are you gonna talk, or are you gonna rumble," as he placed a machine on the ground and activated it, and in minutes a bot, that towered over them both was standing over them?

This is when Vivian spoke up, "I'll make you a deal, if you can defeat my boyfriend's battle bot, I'll spill my guts and even come quietly," she said coyly, looking at Kim, "if not, I won't, simple as that.

Kim however had a mysterious smile, as she turned to the other woman, "you've gotta deal."

It was Kitty's turn to step forward, "far be it from me to rain on your parade Kimmy, but you don't have a robot handy, do you?"

Kim just smiled, "oh, we got robots," she said, then she walked up to Ron, "think it's ready for a real test?"

Ron shrugged, "I think so, no time like the present to test it. You know Oliver, right, that he's…," Kim just nods.

"We doin' this or what," Oliver asked?

"Keep your shirt on, bolt-breath," Ron bellowed, before turning to the case he brought, he reached inside and pulled out something he's been experimenting with, outside of class! Its fuselage was not one piece, but it was comprised of a second section that bent in all directions like a spring, that was connected to an after portion that held, what could only be described as a tail. Its head looked a lot like a cat, only with no eyes, but it had the ears and whiskers of a cat. He took it out of the case and placed it on the edge of the pit. To everyone there, the way it lay, if they did not know any better, they would almost see legs folded under it, looking for all the world like a sleeping cat. Another item that came out of the case, was what looked like a joystick, but it was festooned with buttons and dials, the function of which the spectators could only guess. Ron flipped a switch and the j-stick lit up like a Christmas tree, the ears and tail, began twitching and twisting, orienting toward the stick.

Kitty was surprised, "Kim, I knew Ron had started getting good at technology, but since when did he build that?"

Kim answered with pride, in the man she has finally admitted her feelings for, to herself at least, "he's been tinkering with it since day one of his tech class, everything he learns in that class, as well as what he's learned taking down supervillain doomsday devices, and even reverse engineering some of Wade's tech, with Wade's permission of course, have gone into what he has dubbed, Rufus the Third."

Ron inched a dial forward and the bot actually stood, and its whiskers also did some twitching, it seemed to focus in on the strongest robotic signals. The prototype project right in front of it, and another just as strong, but not as near to it. A holographic Head-Up-Display, projected itself into the air, giving Ron a high definition display of everything his bot sees. Ron pushed the stick forward, and the way it moved was clunky for a cat, but seamless and fluid for a robot.

"Wow," came a very impressed Justine Flannery, "that kid's in my tech class, I mean it's far from the elegance of my papillon-bots, but very impressive none the less.

Vivian looked closely at the cat-bot's legs, and noticed they moved like the locomotion of well, a locomotive, the 'thighs' pistoned up and down, transferring energy down the hydraulic 'calves,' and into the foot which registered pressure, which extended and retracted as needed before transferring motion forward. That was just one leg, this same process was happening simultaneously with all four legs at once, and each leg seemed to synchronize with the other as the terrain changed. The cat-bot reached the edge and that's when Ron pulled the trigger on the joystick, there was the sound of compressed gas as the bot was launched off the edge and into the pit area. That's when Vivian breathed a sigh of relief, it was a remarkable piece of engineering, and the movement of the legs was truly extraordinary, but it was still so much smaller than her bot, there was no way it would defeat her baby.

Ron turned a dial up which caused the cat-bot's whiskers to become still and level. A pilfered traffic signal would go from red to green to begin the match. It turned green, and like a bullet, Ron's bot dashed forward right between the legs of the giant bot. Then it raced up the wall using static electricity and turned, giving him a view of the arena. At first everyone thought the little bot did nothing, then after a second the tank treads on the bot's feet crumble to pieces, causing the bot to topple to the pit floor, but Ron was not finished, he pulled the trigger and again the compressed gas fired from the bot. Ron's bot landed on the prone form of the Project bot, then opening its mouth swarms of ticks came vomiting up from inside the cat-bot, they swarmed all over the downed bot, locating all power sources, and doing what real ticks were meant to do, feed. The bot's LED's blinked a few times before going out completely, the ticks scurried out of the bot's chassis and back into the cat-bot, where they deposited their energy in the capacitors, recharging their host bot.

"What was that," Vivian was gob-smacked, "the whisker-thing then the tick-thing," the astonished woman asked?

Kim smiled at her, "come on, the magician never reveals all his tricks, just the obvious ones, I will tell you however that the whiskers are made of vibranium," she said, "now talk to me, tell me why a top scientist such as Dr. Vivian F. Porter, would resort to stealing?"

Vivian was astonished, "you mean you know about me," Kim just nodded, and then, "fine I'll tell you everything?"

* * *

Return to the Space Center

The doors to the robotics laboratory whooshed open, and an irate Oliver marched in shouting, "I constructed that robot, and you stole it!"

Finn was not even surprised, and stood his ground, "that's a dangerous accusation," he retorted while grabbing the deactivated bot, that had just been returned courtesy of Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable, not one hour before.

"I'm all about danger," Oliver said, as he raised his arms to strike, which caused Finn to flinch!

Just then, Vivian burst in just in time, to save her one-time boss, "Oliver," she said running to grab his arms, "calm down!"

"Hello, Vivian," he greeted her with condescension.

"Finn," she spat crossing her arms, giving him a dirty look.

Kim and Ron entered, and Finn rushed to them, "Kim Possible, thank God you're here, call security."

"Oh, we will," she said crossing her arms, "and you'll give back the robot, you stole." To say Finn was shocked would be like saying the galaxy was a big swirl in the sky. "You staged the whole theft, to cover up the fact the you never invented a thinking robot, because as a scientist, you suck," Kim spat.

Finn's face took on a dangerous cast, "so what, I've got the reputation, I built the robot, you stay away," he said warding her off before trying to make a run for it.

Ron was quick to act as he called, "KP hook shot," and with that the Middleton High School cheerleading captain put her foot in the Middleton Mascots hands and with barely any effort threw her across the room, where she positioned her body with her foot out, and connected with the back of Finn's head, she landed and cartwheeled back to catch the Project as it flew up and into her hands.

* * *

Thursday at the Possible-Pryde-Stoppable Thanksgiving table

There was laughter a plenty, surrounding the table where love exists in one form or another. Whether love for spouse-to-spouse, parent-to-child, sibling-to-sibling, cousin-to-cousin, and two of the budding romantic variety, wondering when they will have the courage, to tell each other how they feel. Maybe next time?


End file.
